Shades of Grey
by SGAFan
Summary: Holding a member of Kolya's strike force prisoner was always going to be... complicated. When John Sheppard tries to win Sora's trust in order to gain valuable intelligence that will help in the search for a ZPM, he has to decide whether he can return tha
1. Chapter 1

Tout comprendre, c'est tout pardoner

_(To understand all is to forgive all)_

Princess Mary – War and Peace Book I; Chapter XXVIII

_**Prologue:**_

John watched as the last group of expedition members and Athosians, returning from Manaria, appeared through the Stargate. He glanced at Elizabeth, noting her nod at the hesitation she saw in his eyes.

"You still don't agree," she stated plainly.

John sighed. "Not really, no. Secure quarters were fine for overnight, but indefinitely?" He shook his head. "Sora's fully capable of taking care of herself, Elizabeth, and she's dangerous." He followed behind as Elizabeth headed towards her office.

Elizabeth sighed. "It's not like we have that many alternatives, Major. It's either secure quarters or the brig."

John arched his brows but said nothing… and his silence drew an immediate response. Elizabeth turned to him, her face a mask of determination.

"The brig is bare with no privacy. The Geneva Convention may not directly apply to the Pegasus Galaxy, but ethically I can't… I won't do that to her."

John stared back for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "I know and I agree I just…," he sighed. "I don't like it. I don't trust her to behave."

Elizabeth's slight smile was grim. "Neither do I. But until she does something to warrant further distrust, this is how it has to be."

John nodded silently as he followed her into the office. Sitting down in the chair opposite her desk, he rested his elbows on the armrests, his fingers idly tapping on his thighs. His expression was dubious as he watched her take a seat behind her desk. "You don't really think trading her back to the Genii is going to do any good?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't know, John. For now, we'll wait and see. She might be useful down the road."

John mulled over her words for a moment. "Yeah. Maybe."

* * *

The light from John Sheppard's P-90 caught on something small and shiny as he entered the large storage room. He stopped, motioning at the team behind him. "Spread out. Check for structural damage." He walked forward, squinting as the reflection slowly became distinguishable as the blade of a curved knife stuck tip first into the floor. He looked over his shoulder. "Teyla?" He pointed at the blade as she walked around a large crate and joined him. "Know anything about this?"

Teyla stared at the knife for a moment before sighing quietly. "Yes. It is Sora's."

John knelt and pulled it from the floor. He held it up, inspecting it closely as the dim light from the room caught its surface. "Quite a piece of work," he commented, approval coloring his voice.

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "It was Sora's father's, and her grandfather's before that."

John nodded absently as he turned the knife over in his hand. The balance was perfect and the grip solid. Beyond the use of a knife in hand-to-hand combat, he didn't know anything about them, but something told him this knife was special; painstakingly hand crafted to perfection. He slowly stood. "Think this is too nice to leave stuck in the floor."

"Will you carry it, Major?" Teyla asked quietly.

He shook his head. "No. We'll put it in the armory for now." He smiled slightly as Teyla's neutral expression turned approving. Without another word, she turned and walked away.

John held the knife loosely at his side as Stackhouse walked up to him. "Sergeant?"

"All clear, sir," Stackhouse rested his hand on the top of his P-90 hanging from his vest. "No sign of structural damage."

John looked around. "Good. Take the team on to the next room. I'll catch up with you."

"Yes, sir." Stackhouse turned and motioned to his team, including Teyla, and they filed out the door.

John took one last look around before lifting the knife and staring at it. A slight smile turned up one side of his mouth. After a moment, he headed for the armory.

* * *

The room was comfortable… at least it was intended to be. But, alone, isolated from her people, she was edgy. She felt more like a caged animal than a guest, and the spacious quarters did nothing to change that.

Sora stood in the center of the room and looked around. Aside from a bed, a chair and a small desk with a lamp, it was empty. Frustrated, she paced, much the same way as she had countless times in the last two days.

As the only member of her strike team to be left behind on Atlantis, she had expected worse treatment than this.

Her pacing led her to the small window that provided her with a view of one of the city's piers, and the vast ocean beyond it. She sighed.

In fact, she had expected a lot more. But they had not thrown her into a prison cell, had not grilled her for information, or tortured her to get it… had not outright executed her. Their behavior towards her, while cautious, had been civil.

She swallowed, hanging onto her training and her control. Perhaps this was a way to lull her into lowering her guard? Her ingrained instincts shouted 'ruse' to her, and she listened. She was a warrior of the Genii, a skilled fighter… and trained in what to do if she was caught. Commander Kolya had taught her well.

Her thoughts lingered on her commander. He was tough, even for a Genii warrior, but he knew how to get every speck of ability out of any person he commanded. As the only woman in his strike team, Sora felt pride at having proven her worth. He had treated her like every man on his team, save once, when he had pulled her aside….

"_Commander?" Sora watched as the other trainees left, leaving only her and Commander Kolya in the gym._

_Kolya twirled his staff expertly as his cunning eyes passed over her. He said nothing, but his stance and handling of the staff said everything._

_Sora grabbed her staff from where it leaned on the wall and slowly circled opposite him. _

"_You are the only woman in my ranks, Sora." Kolya's voice was low and dangerous. _

_She did not know where he was going with his statement, but her response was reflexive. "Yes, Commander." _

"_How do you feel about that?" He continued circling her._

"_Honored, Commander." Sora twirled her staff and waited for the attack she knew was coming. A flurry of blows came at her. She repelled each easily, before again squaring off with her leader._

"_Many missions you may go on will be dangerous, Sora. Capture by the enemy is always a real possibility." Kolya twirled his staff, passing it expertly behind his back, before bringing it in front of him again and resuming his pacing. _

"_You have instructed all of us well on that possibility, Commander," Sora's voice was confident. She mimicked his actions. "If the time comes, I will resist."_

_Kolya's brows quirked an instant before he lashed out at her, his attack furious. Moving quickly, Sora struggled to stay ahead of him, but she was outmatched by his skill and experience. Thrown backwards, Sora's breath rushed from her lungs as she impacted the wall. _

_She pulled in strangled breaths around the staff pressed against her throat. She stared back at the cold, stern, dark eyes of her commander._

"_You are a woman, Sora. For you, it will be different."_

_Sora gasped, her body tensing, as she felt his rough grasp on her breast. She looked back into his eyes, unable to keep the touch of fear from hers. She winced as he groped her again before he backed away. _

_Lowering his staff, he stared dispassionately back at her. "Do not fear me for that, Sora. I was only making a point." Crossing the gym, he placed his staff with the rest of the training weapons. He walked to the door and paused, before looking once more at her. "If you can't fearlessly bear that touch from me, then you will not stand against the kind of torture from the enemy that would surely follow it." He exited, leaving her alone…._

Sora pulled in a deep breath, strengthening herself as she had countless times since then. She had learned much that day. When next Kolya tested her, the fear she felt as a woman was buried deep inside her. She had fought back, and that seemed to have satisfied Kolya, for he never brought it up again. What he had done was for her good. He had guided her in the ways of a warrior, even more so than her father…

Her thoughts turned to her father and, reflexively, towards her captors: the ones responsible for his death in the first place. Teyla had told her there had been no way to save Tyrus, but Sora could not believe her… could not trust her. They had all survived, all the Lanteans, yet her father had not. Sora's fists clenched unconsciously in anger. Her father had died, and those responsible now held her prisoner. They would want information. What would they do to get what they wanted from her?

She felt threatened, and the warrior within her took control. Her gaze narrowed dangerously as she turned and stared at the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she quickly crossed the room and banged loudly on it. "I wish to speak with Dr. Weir!" Silence met her until she pounded again. "I want to talk to Dr. Weir! Now!" Stepping back, she bounced on the balls of her feet, her body tense. The door opened.

"What…?"

The first soldier never finished his sentence as Sora launched herself at him. Her attack caught him completely off guard, allowing her to seize his right hand, pull it away from his weapon and twist. She felt satisfaction as he cried out his pain in the instant before her elbow to his face silenced him.

"Security breach! We have a security breach!" the other guard yelled into his radio as he pulled his side arm.

Sora grabbed the knife from the first soldier's belt sheath as she let him fall to the ground. She spun, flipped the knife in her hand, and threw it, catching the second guard in the shoulder.

He staggered, screaming in agony.

She wasted no time. Racing to him, she delivered two hard blows to his midsection, before backhanding him into unconsciousness. Grabbing the first guard's sub-machine gun, she rifled through his vest and found what she assumed was extra ammo for it. She tucked the second guard's sidearm into her belt and looked around. Eventually she needed to find a way through the gate, but right now she needed time to collect her thoughts and come up with a plan. Breaking into a fast run, she left the control tower behind her as her long strides carried her down the dark corridor.

* * *

_Damn it! I hate being right!_ John dashed down the long corridor towards Sora's quarters. He'd been browsing security reports when the SO's call had come in. It had been cryptic, but John knew his people and had recognized the voice of Tyler, one of the guards assigned to the security detail on Sora's quarters. His suspicion had been confirmed when he'd tried to contact Tyler and been met with silence.

Approaching the final corner before Sora's quarters. John slowed his pace. Pulling his sidearm, he glanced back at the two soldiers following behind him and nodded slightly. Taking a deep breath, he stepped around the corner.

"Damn it," This time John whispered the curse aloud as he stared at the unmoving bodies of the two guards assigned to Sora, sprawled on the floor in front of the open door to her quarters. Lifting his gun, he slowly approached them. Deep inside, he was almost certain she was long gone but, judging by the condition of the two guards, he had no doubt she was perfectly able to defend herself, and the last thing he wanted was to be ambushed. His back to the wall, he paused a moment before stepping into the open doorway, his gun ready. He looked around before nodding to himself. He glanced back at the two guards. "Search the room. I doubt she's there, but make sure."

"Yes, sir." Both soldiers cautiously entered the room.

Holstering his gun, John knelt next to the first guard. He pressed his fingers into the unconscious man's throat. "Collins?" His gaze settled on Collins' twisted and rapidly swelling right hand, while he reached up and tapped his headset. "This is Sheppard. I need a medical team. Level 5, section A-9." Satisfied Collins was stable for the moment, John stood and turned his attention to Tyler.

"We're on our way, Major," Carson's voice was quiet and even. "Care to tell me what's happened?"

John knelt next to Tyler, who began to stir back to consciousness. "Sora escaped. I've got two men down outside her quarters. Now move it, Doc!"

"Aye," Carson's tone was calming as he took John's snappy reply in stride. "We'll be right there."

"Tyler?" John's eyes surveyed the damage as the downed soldier's eyes slowly opened. He shrugged out of his coat and pressed it into Tyler's bleeding shoulder wound, careful not to disturb the knife. He winced as Tyler bit back a pained groan. "Hang in there, Tyler. Doc's comin'."

"Yes, sir," Tyler gasped. "Sorry, sir. She was so fast…."

John stifled his irritation and just nodded. "It's okay. We'll get her." He looked up as the two soldiers he'd brought with him came back out into the hallway.

The first one confirmed John's suspicions. "It's clear, sir."

Unsurprised, John waved with his free hand at the soldier who had just spoken. "Jackson, you stay with Tyler and Collins until Beckett gets here, then escort them to the infirmary." He let Tyler hold the jacket to his shoulder himself with his free hand and stood as Jackson knelt next to the still unconscious Collins.

"Simms," John gestured at the second soldier. "You're with me." He pointed at the stunner Tyler had been carrying. "Take that. I'd rather stun her than shoot her, but if it comes to that, don't hesitate to defend yourself. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Corporal Simms nodded once. He grabbed the Wraith stunner before following behind John.

Drawing his nine-mil again, John slowly walked down the corridor. He reached up and activated his headset. "Control this is Sheppard. Any idea where she is?"

"Not that we can tell from here, Major," Elizabeth answered. "There aren't any life signs outside of the general population."

John sighed in irritation. "If she's still within the general population, then tell me how she hasn't been spotted yet?"

"There are several rooms with only one or two people in them," Zelenka replied. "She could be any of those life signs."

Frustrated, John shook his head as he trained his gun around a corner, before cautiously proceeding. "All right. Let's order people to stay where they are, and do a room-to-room sweep."

"Sounds like a plan, Major," Elizabeth agreed.

John nodded to himself. "Ford? Are you reading all of this?"

"Yes, sir." Ford's response was immediate.

"Good." John looked around and continued walking. "Ford. You, Teyla and Bates organize teams and do a room-to-room search of all the rooms with life signs in them. Take stunners. I want her stunned and captured if at all possible. But she's got a 9mil and a P-90, so be careful."

"Sir," Sergeant Bates broke into the conversation, "she's armed and definitely dangerous. We need to take her out."

John stopped in his tracks. "Bates, I don't want her shot unless there's no other choice." He could almost hear Bates disapproval. "Am I making myself absolutely clear, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir." Bates' voice was terse.

John nodded to himself. Bates' tone was decidedly annoyed, and John knew the Sergeant didn't agree with his orders, but he also knew he would follow them. John continued down the corridor away from the central tower.

"We'll start the sweep right away." Ford affirmed.

"Copy that," John answered. "Sheppard out."

"Sir," Simms whispered, "with all due respect, this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Where are we going anyway?"

John smiled and cocked an eyebrow at Simms. "We're headed back to the central tower. We're just going the long way."

"Sir?" Simms's tone was confused.

At an intersection of hallways, John turned down the left one. "Ford, Bates and their teams will be doing a room-by-room search from the west. We're going to approach the central tower from the east." John stopped and faced the corporal. "Ever go pheasant hunting?"

"No sir. I grew up on the south side of Chicago." Simm's tone was wry.

John chuckled. "When you hunt pheasant, your dog not only retrieves the birds you shoot, but also moves through the grass and flushes them out so you can get a clean shot."

Simms's face lit up as he apparently jumped to the conclusion John was driving at. "You think Bates' teams will flush her out and she'll run right into us?"

John smiled. "That's the plan. Just like pheasant hunting." He turned and started down the corridor again.

"Just don't let Bates hear you compare him to a dog," Simms muttered. "Sir."

John shook his head and chuckled quietly. His light mood faded as their path took them closer to the control tower. He stopped in his tracks as Elizabeth's voice came over the radio.

"Major, we have an unidentified life sign moving your direction."

"Copy that." John glanced at Simms and gestured across the hall, while he backed behind a column. He held his gun close to his side and waited.

Before long, a figure appeared around the corner. John stepped out from behind cover and trained his gun on it. "Hold it!"

Startled, Rodney McKay dropped his data pad and jumped back against the wall. "Ahh!"

John cocked his head and lowered his gun. "McKay? What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Going to my lab! What the hell are you doing waving a gun in my face?" Rodney retorted.

John quirked his brow. "Who's _waving_ it?"

"Funny." Rodney snapped. He bent down and grabbed his data pad. He stared at the cracked and dark display for a moment before sighing loudly. "That's just great! Do you realize how long I've been working on that power consumption equation?"

"Rodney," John cut him off mid-rant. "We're under lock down. That includes you."

Rodney blinked, his expression turning confused. "Lock down? What happened?"

John rolled his eyes. "Sora escaped. We're trying to track her down now. Elizabeth announced it over the internal com system. Weren't you paying attention?"

Rodney's expression turned sheepish. "Well, no. I was listening to opera…." He glared at John's distasteful expression. "Oh, just… stop! It helps me think! I must not have heard…."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." John waved his hand impatiently. He looked around and spotted a nearby door. "Just… go there and wait until we find her."

"There?" Rodney protested. "That's the botany lab. What am I going to do in the botany lab?"

John pushed him insistently towards the door. "I don't care." He gestured at the fractured equipment in Rodney's hands. "Fix your data pad."

"Oh you're hysterical," Rodney snapped. "Major…."

"McKay!" John cut Rodney off, his tone one that brooked no argument.

Rodney waved his hand over the door crystal and entered the room. He turned back towards John. "This is…." Rodney's eyes widened. "What the…?"

John spun, catching a glimpse of a running figure disappearing down a nearby hallway. "Damn it! There she goes!" He sprinted after her, Simms right on his heels. John activated his radio. "This is Sheppard. She just passed our position and is running east. Can you get a lock on her?"

"Stand by, Major," Elizabeth's voice was distracted.

"We flushed her out all right," Simms observed. "But we missed the shot."

"I always sucked at pheasant hunting," John groused. "At least now we can get a lock on her life sign." Right on cue, Zelenka's voice came over the radio.

"Major, we have her. She turned north at next intersection."

"Copy that." Confident and never breaking stride, John rounded the corner without slowing.

"Major! She's halted!"

Zelenka's warning stopped John and Simms in their tracks.

John silently gestured Simms towards the other side of the hallway, while he slowly walked forward. He turned the corner and his eyes widened as he saw Sora standing in a transporter, furiously tapping the screen, trying to find an active location. Her back stiffened as she caught sight of him.

"Sora!" John lifted his gun, and was rewarded by several shots hitting the ground in front of him. He ducked back behind the corner. "Crap!" He looked over at Simms, who was dodging bullets now aimed his direction. After a moment, the shooting stopped. John nodded curtly at Simms and they both stepped out from behind cover.

John directed his aim at Sora's leg, determined to only wound her if he was forced to shoot, while, Simms wasted no time in firing a stun shot… only to have it impact the closing doors of the transporter as Sora found a live transport link.

John raced to the transporter. He slammed his fist against the wall as the doors opened onto an empty compartment "Damn it!" He smacked his headset again. "Zelenka? Where the hell is she?"

"She just showed up on the West Pier, Major."

John stepped into the transporter, Simms only a half step behind him. "Copy that. "We're on our way. Have Ford and his team get to the nearest transporters and join us there."

"Right away, Major," Zelenka answered.

John sighed and tapped the location of the West Pier on the map.

The faint tingling sensation faded, and John lifted his gun as the transporter doors opened. The corridor was deserted. "Where now?" he asked over his radio.

"Turn south, Major," Zelenka answered. "She isn't far off and, for the moment, not moving."

"Copy that." John slowly walked down the corridor, his pace careful and measured. As he turned a gentle corner to the right, he caught sight of Sora, leaning heavily against a nearby wall, and stopped dead. He targeted her right shoulder and glanced at Simms, who took aim with his stunner. John looked back at Sora, meeting her gaze as she glared at him. His eyes narrowed. She seemed lethargic and struggling to stay on her feet. _She must've taken a piece of the stun blast as the transporter doors closed. _

He drew in a deep breath. "Sora? Easy now. Just drop the gun. We're not going to hurt you."

A light, cynical chuckle escaped her mouth. "Why should I believe you?"

John quirked an eyebrow. "Because you're standing there feeling the effects of a stun blast, not a bullet wound." Slowly, he lowered his gun, confident that Simms had him covered. He raised a placating hand and took another step closer. "More men are coming, Sora. You can't get away."

Sora weakly lifted her gun, and that was apparently all the incentive Simms needed. She slumped back against the wall as the corporal's stun blast hit her square in the chest.

John again lifted his gun and cautiously approached her. He kicked both the nine mil and P-90 out of her reach, before kneeling and checking her pulse. Holstering his gun, he took the binding strap Simms offered him and quickly secured her hands. He looked up at Simms. "Let's get her to Beckett. Then she goes to the brig."

* * *

John casually rested his hand on his sidearm as Elizabeth walked up next to him. He glanced at her briefly, before fixing his gaze on a still unconscious Sora. Carson was hunched over her, his stethoscope pressed into her chest, but his expression seemed unconcerned. Not far away, Bates and Ford stood ready, stunners aimed at the bed.

"How is she?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

John shrugged. "Stunned. Beckett doesn't seem worried though." Again he glanced at her, catching her slight nod.

"She sure led us on quite a chase." Elizabeth stated matter-of-factly.

John couldn't keep the touch of respect from his expression. "Yes, she did. Kolya may be a dangerous SOB, but he sure knows how to train his people. She's good… very good." He watched Carson slide his stethoscope into his coat pocket and turn his attention to one of the monitors next to Sora's bed, as the silence between John and Elizabeth lingered. She finally broke it.

"I suppose you want her in the brig now?"

John looked closely at her. "And you don't?"

Elizabeth sighed. "No, I don't…."

"Elizabeth…." John's voice trailed off at her raised hand.

"But, I don't see where we have a choice any more," Elizabeth admitted quietly.

Slightly surprised, John nodded.

Elizabeth shrugged. "She's dangerous. She could've killed both you and Simms, not to mention Collins and Tyler."

John pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her. "But, she didn't." His pensive expression must not have gone unnoticed by Elizabeth.

"John?"

"I'm just thinkin' about something Cowen said." He cracked a half smile at her questioning look. "Before we went on that recon mission. Cowen pointed out that Sora was a skilled fighter and expert marksman."

"And? John? What are you driving at?" Elizabeth questioned.

John grimaced lightly and shrugged. "If she'd wanted to kill Tyler, the knife wouldn't have hit him in the shoulder… and if she'd wanted to shoot Simms and me, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you." He sighed. "Granted, Collins' hand is pretty badly broken, and Beckett isn't sure if he'll regain full use of it again, but, even unarmed, I don't doubt Sora could've killed him, if she'd wanted to."

He crossed his arms and leaned back against a column, but his gaze was fixed on Sora, and his expression was thoughtful. "She argued with Kolya. The whole time the Genii held Atlantis, she argued with him." John sensed Elizabeth's confusion and he wasn't surprised. _He_ wasn't even sure what he was trying to say. He wryly glanced sideways at Elizabeth. "Sometimes reasonably, I might add." His gaze narrowed as it once again fixed on Sora. "She's different." There was silence between him and Elizabeth for a long minute, and John knew she was mulling over his words.

"Are you changing your mind about putting her in the brig?" Elizabeth's voice was neutral.

"Hell no," John immediately responded. "She's dangerous. I'm not going to have her maiming every man under my command. She goes to the brig."

"I want some amenities, John." Elizabeth straightened slightly, her bearing showing no room for argument. "No bare cell. A bunk and a chair at least."

John stared at her a moment, before nodding slightly. "I think we can do that."

"Your guards need to stand post outside the brig too," Elizabeth added.

The thought of anything less than constant surveillance on Sora made John uneasy. _Look what happened last time we left her alone…._ "Elizabeth…," John faced her.

"No, John. I mean it." She met his gaze, her expression determined. "Use the force field, but give her some privacy."

John stared into her undaunted eyes for a moment. Briefly, he wondered how long she would be able to hang onto her core diplomatic beliefs given what they'd faced in Pegasus so far. He nodded slightly. "All right."

"I know she'll need an armed escort, but routine trips to the facilities too, John."

Annoyance briefly flickered inside John. His expression hardened slightly. "I know, Elizabeth. My guys may not be diplomats, but we know how to take care of a prisoner."

Elizabeth had the good grace to blush slightly. She nodded slightly and looked away. "I'm sorry."

John felt his irritation dissolve at her embarrassment. "It's okay." His attention turned away from Elizabeth as Carson approached both of them. "How is she, Doc?"

Carson smiled, his gaze passing between John and Elizabeth. "Unconscious, but fine. She seems normal for someone who's been stunned. I expect she'll wake up before long."

John glanced at Elizabeth, noting her small, tense smile.

"Thank you, Carson," she said quietly.

"Aye." Carson glanced over at Bates and Ford before looking at John. "She's unconscious, Major, and even when she wakes, she's going to be groggy. Are they really necessary?"

John arched a brow at Carson. "It's either them, or put her in restraints. Sorry, Doc. I'm not chasing her all over half the city again, and I'm not gonna have her hurt anyone else."

Carson sighed deeply. "All right."

"Speaking of which," John continued, his tone softer, "how are Collins and Tyler?"

Carson looked across the room at the two soldiers. "'Tis going to be a long time before Collins will be able to use his hand again. I can't rule out permanent damage, either. To coin a phrase, she turned his hand into a maraca."

John's lips tightened in anger, but he quelled it.

"What about Tyler?" Elizabeth beat John to his next question.

"Dr. Parsons was able to remove the knife without too much more trauma. It doesn't look like any major structures were damaged. He should heal just fine with a little time."

John nodded. "Good to hear." His attention was diverted by Bates' slight wave.

"Major? She's coming around." Bates, tensing, had aimed his stunner at Sora, who was stirring slightly.

John was right behind Carson as they approached Sora's bed. He gently touched Elizabeth's forearm as she came up next to him. He made brief eye contact with her. "Not too close."

Elizabeth nodded silently and took a step back.

Sora moved again. Her eyelids fluttered, before slowly parting.

John's half smile was cynical as Sora's eyes immediately found his. He raised his hand as she stiffened. "Easy. Don't do anything… rash." His gaze flicked to Bates and Ford and he watched intently, his hand unconsciously tightening on his side arm, as Sora took in the two guards… and the stunners they aimed at her. She again met John's gaze, and he nodded slightly as she relaxed. "That's better."

"How do ye feel, lass?" Carson asked gently.

Sora ignored him, never breaking eye contact with John. "What are you going to do with me now?"

John stared evenly at her cold, defensive tone. "What do you think we're going to do?"

Her gaze turned coldly sarcastic. "I know what the Genii would do if our positions were reversed."

John's expression turned slightly cynical. "Well, we're not Genii."

"That is obvious."

Sora's voice held a note of insult, but John let it go. He squinted slightly as he thought for a moment. She was definitely hostile towards them, probably to mask her fear. But through that, Sora had always plainly stated her opinion. They knew where they stood with her; she took no pains to hide it. He decided to return the favor. Maybe it was an attitude she could relate to. "You know I can't put you back in quarters, Sora. I can't trust you not to do this again." He held her gaze, his intense stare unwavering as she glared back at him.

She shifted in her bed, drawing an immediate response from Bates, who raised his stunner slightly. She glared at him for a moment, before looking back to John. "I am a warrior of the Genii. It is my duty to escape. Were you in my place, would you not do the same?"

After a moment's hesitation, a corner of John's mouth turned up slightly. "I suppose I would."

"And you knew this, but still I was able to escape? That is reckless," she snapped.

Annoyance flickered in John. He knew damn well he was being pushed by someone who didn't want to play by the 'rules'. It took one to know one: he'd never been an orthodox officer, having stepped over the line with his commanders more than once. Sora was testing her boundaries, and it was time he showed her where those boundaries lay. He pulled in a deep breath, only to be beaten to a response by Elizabeth.

"That was my call," she said quietly.

"A civilian? Typical." Sora's expression was as full of contempt as her voice.

Anger infused John. He'd let her first insult go, but not this one. "That's enough." His voice was quiet, but held the distinctive tone of command. He returned her measured look with a strong one. "Don't push me, Sora." For a moment, he felt locked in a battle of wills. He refused to back down, but so did she.

Finally, she looked away. She took a deep breath and looked back at him. "What are you going to do with me, Major?"

Her voice was neutral, but John was sure he saw grudging respect in her expression. For the first time, she'd called him by his rank. _Well, that's a start…. _"You haven't given me many choices, Sora. As soon as Doctor Beckett says your fine, you're going to the brig." He reached up and tapped his headset. "Stackhouse, this is Sheppard. Prep the brig for a prisoner. I want a bunk and one chair." John looked at Carson. "Doc? When can she be released?"

Carson glanced warily at Sora, before sighing and turning his gaze to John. "She's fine now. Probably has a headache, but that'll pass." He again looked at Sora. "Does you head hurt, lass?"

Sora waved a hand dismissively, once again glaring at Bates, who tensed at her movement. "It doesn't matter."

"Doc can give you something to ease the pain, Sora," John offered.His hand shot to his sidearm and he stepped in front of Elizabeth as Sora bolted straight up in bed.

"I'll take no drugs from you!" she exclaimed hotly, her manner instantly turning hostile.

John's grip on his gun loosened as she sat stiff but motionless. He waved off Bates and Ford, who both seemed on the verge of stunning her.

"Drug you?" Elizabeth stepped out from behind John, and shook her head. "We're not going to drug you or do anything to you, Sora, believe me."

"Then why are you keeping me here?" Sora's gaze was distrustful.

Elizabeth pursed her lips and looked away, unable to answer.

"Let me talk to her," John muttered as he shifted his attention to Elizabeth. His gaze turned slightly imploring at the hesitation he saw in her eyes.

Slowly, she nodded. She grabbed Carson's sleeve and they both walked away.

John nodded at Bates and Ford. "You too."

Both men started. "Sir…," Ford began uncertainly.

"Now." John cut them off. "I'm not telling you to leave the infirmary, just… back off." Ford nodded and backed away but Bates held his ground for a moment. John's gaze narrowed, as Bates looked on the verge of further objection.

It seemed he thought better of it. "Yes, sir," He muttered. He followed Ford, his movements still reluctant. A good fiftteen feet from Sora, but still with a clear line of fire, they stopped.

"He challenges your authority, Major." Sora observed. Her gaze lingered on Bates for a moment before she gave John a long, measured look.

Under her stare, John felt scrutinized, as if who he was and his command abilities were being questioned. He pushed the feelings away, irritated at himself for being irritated in the first place. "Occasionally, yes. But he's a good officer, and a damn good soldier."

Sora looked across the infirmary at Bates. "Good officers do not question their commanders. His behavior would not be tolerated by the Genii…," she turned back towards John, "Major."

John's expression was slightly bemused. "Guess that's another way we differ from each other. I like my people to have minds of their own. They can think for themselves, not blindly follow orders. Makes for better officers."

Sora lifted her chin proudly. "Command must be honored. It is earned by those who have it, and does not need to be defended to those that don't."

John smiled slightly. "He followed my orders, didn't he?" He let her sit in silence for a moment before changing the subject. "Sora, I'm going to be honest with you." He sighed. "We don't know what we're going to do with you yet. But there is one thing you need to understand." He removed his hand from his sidearm and stepped closer to her bed. He looked as deeply into her eyes as he could, and poured as much reassurance in to his expression as possible. "We're not going to hurt you, torture you or mistreat you in any way. That just isn't how we do things." Despite his best efforts, Sora still looked at him with suspicion.

"Then why to you keep me here?" she asked coldly.

John's gave a slight chuckle that had a cynical edge to it. "Honestly? I have no idea… yet." He looked across at Bates and Ford, and made a slight gesture for them to return to Sora's bed. "I'm taking you to the brig, Sora, but only because you've given me no choice."

Some of the suspicion fled from her eyes as she nodded silently.

John pulled a binding strap from his pocket. "Hold out your hands." He noticed a slight tension return to her body as she glanced over his shoulder at Bates and Ford. He shook his head. "Don't do it. You won't make it two steps."

She slowly looked back at John, her gaze keen. Without ever breaking eye contact with him, she folded her hands together and lifted her arms towards him.

John held her gaze a moment longer before he turned his attention to quickly wrapping the restraints around her wrists. Holding onto her elbow, he helped her stand. His grip on her upper arm was firm, but not painful as he escorted her from the infirmary, Bates and Ford not far behind.

* * *

"Knock knock."

Elizabeth looked up, smiling at John as he stood in her doorway. "Come in." She watched while he strolled into her office, his pace measured and slightly tense. He stopped in front of her desk and absently fingered the Athosian vase that sat there. "How's our guest?" She offered small talk, feeling there was more on his mind than a routine discussion.

"Secure in the brig." John picked up the lid of the vase and scrutinized it closely, his gaze never meeting hers.

Elizabeth stared at him for a moment before putting down her data-pad stylus and leaning back in her chair. She examined his expression. Even though he wasn't looking at her, she could sense the hesitation in him. "What's on your mind, Major?"

John's grunt was barely audible before his lips twitched as a moment of slight humor passed over him. "What makes you think something's bugging me?"

Elizabeth arched a brow. "Experience. I'm a trained diplomat, remember?"

John sighed and replaced the lid on the vase. He backed up and sat in the chair opposite her.

Elizabeth noted his slight fidgeting, but said nothing; waiting for him to speak first. She didn't have to wait long.

"Elizabeth…" John's voice trailed off. He shook his head.

"John?" Elizabeth prompted him.

"Sora doesn't respect you," John blurted out. He drummed his fingers on his thighs.

"I know." Elizabeth answered softly. She had a good feeling she knew the direction this conversation was going. She sat motionless as John gave her a slightly surprised look and finally made eye contact with her.

"You do?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes. She was raised a soldier in a militaristic society that has little regard for civilians or for science that doesn't directly further their military objectives. I'd imagine, as a diplomat, I'm not a figure of respect." Her gaze narrowed. "Why are you bringing this up, Major?"

John stood and slowly paced in front of her desk. "She didn't respect me until I laid down the law with her. I had to set her boundaries and push back when she pushed me, in order for her to see I was worth her respect. Still," John stopped and gazed at the Stargate, "I don't think she would've given it to me if I wasn't the ranking officer here." He looked back at Elizabeth, his expression thoughtful.

Elizabeth gently rocked in her chair as she considered his words. She folded her hands in her lap. "Just what are you saying, John?"

John ran a hand through his hair, turned and paced across her office again. "We can't tag team this one, Elizabeth. I want you to leave Sora up to me." He stopped and stared intently at her. "You're going to have to trust me, because she damn sure won't respond to you, no matter what you do."

Elizabeth leaned forward and crossed her arms on her desk. She shook her head slightly. She was trained to deal with people regardless of the situation. Garnering trust was in her nature; but she wondered if, here, she'd encountered a situation where, no matter what she did, that trust would never blossom. Her thoughts drifted briefly to a Middle Eastern diplomatic summit she'd been passed over for a few years back. Regardless of her skills, she never would've accomplished anything – because she was a woman. At the time, she'd grudgingly admitted the diplomatic corps had been right to leave her out. Her thoughts turned back to Sora. Was this situation any different? Sometimes, all the diplomatic abilities in the world couldn't get past a mentality ingrained by a society.

"Elizabeth?"

John's hesitant question grabbed her attention. She pursed her lips and looked up at him. "You think you can get any information out of her that we can use?"

John shrugged. "Maybe. Who knows? I might be able to convince her we're not as bad as she thinks we are. Then, if we release her back to the Genii…." His voice trailed off.

Elizabeth smiled. "Now who's the optimist?"

John chuckled quietly. "Yeah, it's a stretch." His smile faded as he stared at her. "Is that a yes then?"

Elizabeth sighed and nodded. "Yes."

John stood. "Okay." He headed for the door.

"John?" Elizabeth called, stopping him in the doorway. He turned and faced her. "I do trust you." She smiled.

John's reciprocal smile was full of gratitude and respect. He paused a moment before silently leaving her office.

Elizabeth picked up her data-pad stylus and twirled it in her fingers. Her thoughts were uneasy, but through it, she knew she did trust John, and she'd just have to sit this one out.

* * *

John walked slowly down the main hallway towards the brig. He was relieved that Elizabeth had seen his point in how to deal with Sora but, at the same time, he was still troubled. He shook his head. Sora was stubborn, suspicious and ingrained with the thought that sooner or later they'd hurt her to get what they wanted. He shook his head. That would never happen, not while he had anything to say about it, or Elizabeth for that matter, but convincing Sora of that was something else; and even if they could convince her, what reason would she have to tell them anything anyway?

John's hand came to rest on his sidearm as his pace slowed slightly. It wasn't as if they were desperate for intel from her…. Okay when it came to the Wraith or Atlantis's survival, they were desperate for any intel, but any information she could give them was a bonus. He knew they'd probably return her to the Genii eventually, whether or not it helped ease tensions between their two peoples. Especially if… when the Wraith finally came after Atlantis, Elizabeth wasn't the kind to take Sora with them to their possible deaths. Rather, she'd let Sora return to the Genii, if only to have a fighting chance to live.

He shook off his negative thoughts. He was the ranking military officer. If anyone had to be optimistic about them surviving the inevitable Wraith attack, it had to be him. Still, with no shield or ZPM….

He sighed and dismissed the chronic underlying problem they all faced with the more immediate one at hand. _Maybe,_ he mused, _just maybe I can get through to her. Show her that we all want the same thing, and both of our peoples would do far better if we were allies instead of enemies. _A cynical chuckle escaped him. _Pretty diplomatic for an Air Force Major…._

"Major?"

Teyla's voice calling to him from behind derailed his thoughts. He stopped and turned towards her. "Teyla." John acknowledged her with a smile.

She inclined her head slightly. "How is Sora?"

He resumed walking. "Settled into the brig. I'm on my way to see her right now, in fact."

Teyla nodded. She walked along in silence for a moment before speaking again. "It is good that you are talking with her, and not Dr. Weir."

John stopped and faced her. "Why do you say that?"

Teyla drew in a deep breath. "The Genii are society of soldiers, Major. Sora will respond much better to you than to Dr. Weir."

John smiled in amusement. "Elizabeth and I already had this conversation." His grin deepened as Teyla arched an eyebrow.

"I see."

John started walking down the hallway again. He flashed a mischievous look at her. "Relax, Teyla. You can't always be the first one to come up with these little nuggets of wisdom."

"Major, I do not…."

John waved a hand. "I'm kidding!"

"Ah."

John inwardly winced. Her tone was neutral, but he suspected he'd be sporting a few Bantos Stick bruises tomorrow after their workout.

Teyla stopped at the next intersection. "I will leave you to your task then."

John turned to face her. "I'd like to talk to you about Sora and the Genii later." He shrugged. "Maybe some other insight that could help me?"

After a minute, Teyla nodded back. "I will tell you all I know, Major." She disappeared down the adjacent hallway.

John smiled and continued on to the brig. Just outside the door he stopped and nodded at the first guard. "Simms, how's she been?"

"Sir. She's been quiet," Corporal Simms answered. "She's either accepted her situation, or she's plotting something."

John stared at the door thoughtfully. "Don't know what she could plot. With the shield up, she's pretty helpless."

"Yes, sir."

Simm's unconvinced reply mirrored what John was feeling. He sighed. "Yeah, I don't buy that either." Looking at the other guard, he nodded. "Open it."

* * *

John stopped in the doorway of the brig, his wary eyes finding the reclusive figure that stood in the corner of the cell and glared coldly back at him. His gaze narrowed for a moment, before he silently walked towards the cell, the brig doors closing behind him. Stopping, he stared evenly back at her, his expression measured as he gauged her mood.

She was tense, even hostile. Her stance was wide, her weight evenly balanced and arms hanging loosely at her sides. Although motionless, John had the distinct feeling she could spring into action on a second's notice. Her eyes were cold, and her face was a carefully guarded mask of control, but, through it, John sensed a glimmer of fear. She was young and although every fiber of her being shouted that she was a soldier, even a warrior, youth and inexperience still showed to his trained eye.

He gave her a cautious, half smile as he walked around the cell towards her, his footsteps and the light hum of the force field the only sounds in the room. "How are you?" he asked neutrally. He stopped perpendicular to her position and watched her.

Slowly, she turned her head and glared at him. "I am in a cage. How do you think I am?"

He arched his brows. "You didn't really expect us to just take you back to your quarters after that little stunt, did you?"

She silently looked away.

He resumed his route around the brig, his path bringing him closer to her. Again he stopped, opposite his original position, but much closer to her. She stared at him, and he was mildly surprised to see the undercurrents of fear in her expression intensify slightly.

"You are here to obtain intelligence from me." Her statement was matter-of-fact.

He considered her words for a moment. "It'd be nice." He watched her closely as she averted her gaze. Her back straightened as renewed tension radiated from her.

"I am not familiar with your methods of torture, Major, but I have had extensive training to resist many different mental and physical techniques. You will not easily obtain intelligence from me." She stared straight forward, the muscles in her jaw clenching as she swallowed hard. But the controlling mask on her face refused to crack.

He sighed and shook his head. _Hadn't they been through this already?_ "I already told you. We don't torture people. I'm not about to start now."

She shot a wary glance his direction. "It would not be the same if our positions were reversed."

_I don't doubt it._ He cocked his head slightly. "Then I guess we're different than you." He stared evenly back as her gaze narrowed. She seemed to be mulling over his words, but the wariness of her expression never faded.

She stared straight forward again. "I will still tell you nothing."

He shrugged. "That's too bad. It'd go a long way towards patching things up between us." He resisted a smile at the slight confusion that showed through her guard. He leaned forward slightly. "I'd be more inclined to change my opinion about you. You know, you give me something… I give you something."

Her reaction was almost reflexive as open hostility covered her features. "I will tell you nothing!" Confidence almost to the point of arrogance reinforced her words. "You look at me as though I am a child! I am a warrior of the Genii! I have endured torture and survived!"

His eyes widened. He raised his voice, interrupting her. "Torture? From who?"

She waved dismissively. "It does not matter!" She crossed the cell and stood as close to him as the force field would allow. "I told them nothing!" she spat. "Even when they…," she pulled in a deep breath and fortified her defiant expression, "invaded me." She unconsciously backed away from him. "You will get nothing from me!"

He paled, unable to keep the shock from his face as the realization of what she meant sank in. He pulled in a deep breath. "Sora, we're not going to hurt you," he raised his voice slightly, "and I'm damn sure not going to do something as barbaric as that!" He evened out his tone and lowered his voice. "So you can relax, okay?"

He let her stand in silence for a moment as he considered his options. "You know," he broke the quiet, "you're kinda in the same boat we are now. Anything that happens to us happens to you." He walked along next to the cell until he stood midway down the side adjacent to where he'd been before. Although further away from Sora, he was in front of her and in her direct line of sight.

She glared at him. "I would gladly die along with my enemies before betraying my people!"

His gaze narrowed. "We're not your enemy, Sora. We never wanted to be. Cowen made us the enemy. We wanted to be allies."

"Allies do not leave each other behind to face horrible deaths!" Her voice cracked and she looked away from him.

He sighed at the obvious grief in her, despite her best efforts to hide it. He walked back to the other side of the cell where he'd been before and stopped close to her. "I'm sorry about your father, Sora, I really am."

"She abandoned him!" Sora shouted at him. "She left my father to die! That is not the action of an ally! That is what an enemy does!"

John took her rant in his stride and stared back at her, his expression neutral. "Tyrus gave away their position to the Wraith, Sora, not Teyla." He leaned in closer to the cell. "If she could've saved Tyrus, believe me when I tell you, Teyla would have."

"Why should I believe you?" Sora's voice was barely above a whisper. "Why should I believe anything you say to me?"

"Because it's the truth, whether you believe it or not. But," John shook his head, "I know that doesn't hold water with you, so think about this: Teyla could've killed you a few days ago, but she didn't. That doesn't sound like something an enemy would do." He stared at her a moment longer, before turning and walking away.

At the door he stopped and looked back at her downcast expression. "Whenever you want a shower or need to use the facilities, just let the guards know. They'll take you as often and whenever you want to go." He looked around. "It's a little cold in here. I'll make sure we get more heat or get you another blanket for your bunk. The mess will send three meals a day to you, and all you want to drink; water, juice, whatever we have. If you're agreeable, I'll arrange for some walks and fresh air. Anything else you need just let the guards know. We'll try to accommodate it." He waited for a moment for a response from Sora, but when none came, John silently left.

* * *

John faintly heard the brig doors close behind him as he headed down the long hallway back towards the central tower. He sighed, his mind playing over his conversation with Sora. While her reaction to him wasn't unexpected, he wondered for a moment what he was doing and why he was doing it. The Genii had been a dangerous thorn in his backside ever since he'd met them. They'd tried to kill him more than once, not to mention threatening the lives of Elizabeth and Rodney. They had killed two of his men in cold blood, an act Sora was party to. Yet, here he was, trying to reason with her.

Part of him chafed at the politeness and consideration he'd offered her, and a dark voice deep inside him wanted nothing more than to toss her in a bare cell and throw away the damn key.

He chewed on his lip and grimaced. Was she a bit of a fanatic? Hell yes, but so was every Genii he'd ever encountered. Some, like Kolya were lunatics. They were smart and cunning, but still lunatics. Even if Kolya hadn't tried to kill John and seize the city, John would still never have trusted him.

But then there was Sora. There was something there… something in her that was different. He couldn't place it, nor define it, but that didn't change the fact that it was there. She had a voice of reason that he'd heard from her more than once. She'd butted heads with Kolya, a turn of events that had surprised John greatly. She lacked the depth of fanatical motivation that Kolya had. That, more than anything, made John feel she was worth his time.

He pulled in a deep breath as he knocked quietly on the door to Teyla's quarters. He waited a moment before the door slid open.

"Major," Teyla nodded in greeting, "come in."

He smiled slightly in return and entered her quarters. "Hope I'm not interrupting?"

Teyla shook her head. "No, Major, I was expecting you." She gestured to a chair, before she seated herself on her bed and crossed her legs. "How is Sora?"

He sat down in the designated chair and leaned back slightly. "Grumpy."

Teyla's brows arched in mild amusement. "Did you expect otherwise?"

The corner of his mouth turned up. "No, not really." He sighed loudly. "She's very defensive." His smile faded under the weight of his memories. "I think she's been through a lot. No matter what I tell her, she thinks we're going to hurt her, or torture her or… something."

"Major," Teyla's voice was contemplative, "she does not trust you, nor would I expect her to."

He nodded. "I know, Teyla, but her idea of the military, and mine are pretty damn different. I'm having a hard time seeing eye to eye with her."

Teyla's gaze narrowed. "Why would you wish to?"

He was caught off-guard by the unexpected, but fair, words. He shook his head, a wry smile pulling at his mouth. "Good question." He pursed his lips, as Teyla remained quiet. "I never wanted to be enemies with the Genii, Teyla. I thought we could be allies. It's crazy. We both want the same thing, yet they're fighting us like the third monkey on the gangplank to Noah's Ark…." He looked up and chuckled slightly at Teyla's confused expression. "Never mind. The point is, we want the same thing. We can help each other and benefit each other by working together. But we're fighting instead. It doesn't make sense to me."

"You believe Sora could help mend things between our peoples?" Teyla asked quietly.

He shook his head. "And I call Elizabeth the optimist…." He stood, unconsciously surrendering to his ingrained habit of pacing when thinking. "Call me crazy, but I just don't think she's as fanatical as the rest of the bunch. She showed a pretty impressive amount of understanding during the Genii occupation." He paused in his pacing, planted his hands on his hips and stared at Teyla. "Or, I'm just not seeing things clearly…."

She nodded in understanding. "I knew Tyrus most of my life, yet I did not know the Genii were more than they said they were. Tyrus made a mistake on the Wraith ship, and it cost him his life. He was hard but fair. I believe Sora is the same." She smiled slightly. "I do not believe you are wrong about her."

John sighed and paced again. "Which brings me back to my problem of not being able to see eye to eye with her." He arched a brow. "Her idea of military is a tad more fanatical than mine." He paused in his pacing as Teyla's slight smile caught his attention. "What?"

"Major," her expression was patient, "you did not grow up in the shadow of the Wraith. Your society was not built around a life… a history of routine cullings, of your people being virtually wiped out every few generations." She looked away for a moment, before again gazing at him. "Had your world evolved within this galaxy you may not have been much different."

He stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. His racing mind ground to a halt as her perspective changed his. He nodded slightly. "I never thought of it that way." He looked away from her. Maybe she was right. Military… any military could and did have its dark side; things that had to be done in spite of consequences. Unwanted memories flooded him.

_Afghanistan… the Taliban sniper hiding in a run-down apartment building in Mazar-i-Sharif…_

"_Take him out, Major!" the Special Forces Colonel's voice demanded._

"_Shep! We have to!" Mitch insisted._

_John held tightly to the Apache's stick, his finger poised to fire. He watched civilians running, trying to get away, the sight of the helicopter meaning only one thing. "Come on… come on," he muttered, urging them away. "Damn it." He watched gunfire from a darkened window strike dangerously close to the pinned down Special Forces unit. Were there any civilians left in the building? _

_Cold realization gripped him. If there were, the sniper was using them for cover…_

_He fired._

John drew in a deep breath and shook off the memories… memories he really didn't want to revisit. There had been no alternative… no ideal outcome. He never doubted the necessity, but it wasn't one of the more pleasant memories he carried within him.

He glanced at Teyla's patient expression before pacing again. Were the Genii any different? More obsessive, yes, but maybe that was proportional to the threat they faced: a threat that could and would wipe out their entire planet without a second thought. Maybe the Genii did what they did to protect themselves. Sure, it was fanatical and warped to _his_ perspective, but he hadn't walked a mile in their combat boots either.

He sighed again. "I still can't trust them, Teyla. They're fanatics, including her. And that makes them unpredictable."

Teyla cocked her head slightly. "The Genii can be very… extreme in their ways, Major, and I agree that they are not the most trustworthy of people. But I am not so sure Sora is as much of a extremist as you seem to think she is."

John stared disbelievingly at her. "She tried to kill you." His gaze narrowed as Teyla stared soberly back at him.

"She believed she was avenging the wrongful death of her father," Teyla responded quietly. Her expression took on a dangerous air. "Had I been in her place, I may have done the same, yet you trust me."

John shook his head and sighed loudly. "There is a big difference between you and her, Teyla."

"Is there?" Teyla immediately answered.

He drew in a breath, but his reply died on his lips. He looked away.

Teyla smiled in understanding. "Perhaps some insight into Sora's way of life will help you see her perspective." She slowly stood and walked over to him. "Sora is Genii, but she is only one person, not the entire society."

John returned her smile. "Don't judge a book by its cover?"

Teyla's face turned thoughtful for a moment, as she seemed to search for, and find, the meaning of his words. Her smile returned. "Yes, I believe so."

John felt deep respect well in him, and he knew his expression mirrored it. "Thanks."

Teyla slowly nodded once. "You are welcome, Major."

* * *

John paused, his gun belt wrapped halfway around his waist, as his eyes settled on the large hardback copy of War and Peace sitting on the table next to his bed. His gaze narrowed slightly when he thought back over what he'd read. His conversation with Teyla from a few days ago came back to him.

"_But, perhaps some understanding of Sora's way of life will help you see her perspective. Sora is Genii, but she is only one person, not the entire society."_

"Needs to understand us too…" John muttered to himself.

Sora saw the world through the eyes of a soldier; a perspective John could appreciate. But he didn't think she saw beyond that one mindset. He liked to think that he did, but some of what Tolstoy had said in War and Peace was a completely different point of view to what he was used to, and thought provoking to say the least. If he'd understood right, Tolstoy believed the outcome of current events was predestined by the history that came before it. John's mind wandered, amazement briefly finding him as he realized that, no matter what galaxy they were in, humans were humans. He didn't know much about Genii society, but he had a feeling they could've been poster children for Tolstoy's theories of being so ingrained in their ways that they were only capable of repeating history and not changing it.

He shook off his philosophical thoughts and finished buckling the gun belt around his waist and thigh before walking over to the table and picking up the novel. He opened it, flipping randomly through the pages. She had to be bored sitting in that cell, not much to do besides going on daily walks. A cynical smile crossed his face as he wondered if she'd read it and, if so, what she'd think of it. The more he thought about her, the more he wondered if, deep down, she really was a fanatic. Her single-minded vengeance against Teyla for the death of Tyrus didn't exactly scream reason to John, but he was willing to chalk that up to grief. He didn't believe that Sora was the most objective person he'd ever met either, but raised in the military caste of Genii society, he wasn't surprised. Yet, through that, she'd managed to find a voice of reason, and John hesitantly admired her for it.

He smiled. Closing the book, he tucked it under his arm and left his quarters.

* * *

"Good morning." John stopped just inside the brig and smiled guardedly at Sora. He watched, holding the semi-pleasant expression on his face, as she unfolded her legs and pushed herself off the bunk. She walked towards him.

"Major Sheppard." Her voice was cool in tone.

John glanced behind him and waved the SOs into the brig with him. "Jackson, open the door. Simms, you're with me."

Sora's suspicious question pulled John's attention back to her. "What is going on?"

He smiled. "I have something for you." He nodded once at Jackson, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Simms as the force field was lowered and the cell door opened. Simms held his stunner rifle ready as John, his hand resting on his sidearm, walked into the cell and held the book out to her. "Take it."

Sora slowly reached out and took the book from his grasp. "What is it?"

"It's called War and Peace," John shrugged. "It's considered one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written… on my planet anyway."

Sora's expression turned slightly sour as she dropped the book on her bunk. "I do not read much."

A half smile touched his mouth as he looked around the cell briefly. "You might change your mind. I'd expect it gets a little boring in here sometimes." He smiled knowingly before backing away towards the entrance of the cell. He held her gaze as she stared evenly at him.

"What is it about?" she asked quietly.

John stopped and gave her a slightly challenging look. "I'll let you figure that out for yourself." He backed the rest of the way out of the cell, never breaking eye contact with her as the door slowly slid shut and the force field was reactivated. He watched her as she looked down at the book for a moment, before looking back at him.

He smiled. "There's more to life than war, Sora. Even with the constant threat of the Wraith, war and fighting isn't everything." He gestured at the book. "Just try it."

* * *

Elizabeth folded her hands on the conference room table and looked around at her senior staff. Her gaze settled on Rodney. "Very well. Over the next couple weeks, I want you to lead an engineering team and check the other piers for structural damage."

"Ford," John's voice cut in on the heels of Elizabeth's statement. "Coordinate with McKay and organize a security detail for whenever he takes a team out into the city. I want you to lead it."

Elizabeth turned her attention to Ford and suppressed a smile at his hesitant expression. _Probably doesn't want to pull babysitting duty…._

"Yes, sir," Ford's distaste at the notion was poorly hidden by his neutral tone.

Elizabeth looked at John and again fought amusement as he smiled knowingly at Ford's reaction. "Rodney?" She turned her attention back to the doctor. "Have any ideas on the members of your team?"

Rodney leaned back in his chair and grunted quietly. "Peterson, Zelenka and Dumais for sure. Besides them, I don't know yet. I'll get a list together."

"Good." Elizabeth nodded. She looked to John. "Any other business, Major?" Her gaze narrowed as his expression sobered.

"As a matter of fact, yes." John leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. "We need to talk about an Alpha site."

Elizabeth's brows arched. "Alpha site?"

"Yes." John's voice deepened, as it normally did when he was serious. "We found ourselves in a bad spot having to rely on the Manarians when we needed to evacuate Atlantis. We were damn lucky our people got out of there safely. It could've been a lot worse." He sighed. "We need a place where we can fall back to that we know we can rely on without having to scramble and settle for a situation like Manaria again."

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and rocked absently as she considered his words. It made sense. Even the SGC had an Alpha site in case of emergencies. Unwanted anxiety flowed over her. John was right. They had been lucky with the Manarians. Nearly all of the expedition team could've been in jeopardy had the Manarians not backed down after Kolya had been driven from Atlantis. She looked up at him and nodded. "I assume you have some plan for finding a suitable planet?"

John smiled. "As a matter of fact I…."

"We!" Rodney interrupted.

John's smile disappeared, replaced by a frown. "Okay, _we_ have an idea." John turned a bemused look on his partner in crime, the seriousness of his expression lessening. "Rodney, would you like to tell Elizabeth what we've been up to?"

Rodney grimaced. "Naturally. Lay it on me."

Elizabeth resisted rolling her eyes at the antics of the two apparently grown, men. She stared expectantly at Rodney.

"Well," Rodney started, "we've done some digging in the Ancient database. The Major wanted an uninhabited planet, so we started there."

"Wait, uninhabited?" Elizabeth turned her attention to John. "Major?"

John shrugged. "Well, I for one don't really want to be double crossed again. Besides, if the Ancients knew it was uninhabited, chances are the Wraith think so too. If we have to evacuate, we're less likely to have a Wraith problem, and can probably fly under the radar with them, at least for a little while."

Elizabeth nodded. "Good points." She looked back at Rodney. "Go on."

Rodney typed a few commands on his data pad. "The list was, shall we say, rather large? So I," he glared at John for a moment, daring him to quibble before he snorted under his breath, "narrowed the search parameters to planets that could sustain human life _and_ have a Stargate. That shortened the list considerably." He slid the data pad across the table to Elizabeth. "We came up with this."

Elizabeth looked down at an impressive number of addresses. "This is the short list?"

"Compared to before?" Rodney replied, "Yes!"

Elizabeth passed the data pad to Teyla. "Do you recognize any of these addresses, Teyla?"

Teyla scanned the list and nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. There are several here that are, in fact, inhabited."

"Not quite as handy with the Ancient database as you thought you were, McKay?" John blatantly needled Rodney.

"The database is ten thousand years old!" Rodney's voice rose in annoyance. "There are obviously going to be inaccuracies!"

"Rodney," Elizabeth recaptured his attention. "Get together with Teyla and update this. When you have a viable list, we'll start recon on each of them for an Alpha site." She pushed back from the table. "If that's all?" Elizabeth looked around at each of them before nodding. "Good. Let's get to work." She stood and was the first one to exit the conference room.

* * *

Sora's gaze found the book. After she'd discarded it to the corner of her cell, she had not touched it in the days that followed Major Sheppard gifting her with it. She had looked at it countless times, but left it where it lay.

She leaned her chair back on two legs and put her feet up on her bunk. She drummed her fingers on the armrests, the light tapping breaking the near silence of the brig. Boredom plagued her. She had always led an active life, mostly physically, but also mentally. The Genii leadership supported knowledge and education, believing that their soldiers were better for it. She was accustomed to her days being filled with mental and physical activities; things that stimulated her mind, body and spirit.

The confines of the brig were oppressive. She stared at empty walls for hours on end, bored, frustrated and brooding. At least in secure quarters she'd had a view to look at, but here….

She sighed. Could she blame them? It was her own fault she was in a brig cell now, not theirs…. She slammed her chair down on all four legs and shot to her feet, anger driving her. _My only fault was in being caught!_ Pacing the cell, she pulled in several deep breaths and forced herself to calmness. Again, her gaze found the book.

"_What is it about?"_

_"I'll let you figure that out for yourself." _

She sighed. Slowly, she crossed the cell and stood over the book, her gaze fixed on the ornate hard cover. She squatted and ran a hand over the smooth surface. She really was bored; the daily walks were her only reprieve. But she was torn. Was this some way for Sheppard to corrupt her? Brainwash her? Trick her into telling him secrets of the Genii? She stood and backed away, leaving the book where it lay.

Movement caught her eye as the door to the brig slowly opened. A soldier, Sergeant… Bates she recalled, stared at her blandly.

"Time for your daily walk." His gaze narrowed slightly as he raised a stun rifle. "As long as you behave."

Three more soldiers, all armed with stun rifles, walked in behind Bates, but his gaze never left Sora.

She suppressed a cold smile. _At least my escape gave them something to think about._ Her humor faded as quickly as it came. _They will not under estimate me again…._ Her next attempt at escape would have to be carefully planned indeed.

The shield dropped and the cell door opened. Bates arched an eyebrow at her. "Coming or not? I don't have all day."

She frowned at him and silently left the cell. Two guards walked ahead of her, and two behind, one of whom was Bates. Intuitively, she could feel the closeness of his stun rifle, a constant reminder that he did not trust her, and that she was expected to behave.

The path was familiar by now. She and her escort had followed it once a day for many days. Their route, which ran around the outskirts of the control tower, was sparsely populated, which seemed to suit Sergeant Bates just fine. When two figures came around the corner towards them, Sora was mildly surprised. The guards in front of her stopped, and so did she, as Major Sheppard and Teyla approached them.

Sora turned cold eyes on Teyla. Instantly, memories of her father flooded her. Hatred welled within her and she glared at the Athosian, whose expression was guarded but not openly hostile.

"Bates. Taking our guest for a walk, I see."

Sora tore her eyes from Teyla and followed the calm voice to Major Sheppard. She continued staring at him, even as Bates answered.

"Yes, sir."

Sora resisted the urge to arch an eyebrow at the note of dissatisfaction in Bates' voice. Clearly, he did not agree with Sheppard's orders. She held her cool, neutral expression in the light of Sheppard's equally cool smile.

"Well," Sheppard's reply seemed aimed as much at Sora as at Bates, "I'm sure she won't give you any problems. Right, Sora?"

Sora again glared briefly at Teyla, before looking back to Sheppard. He was relaxed and confident, and that did nothing to temper her anger. She nodded once, curtly.

Sheppard smiled again. "Good." He looked around. "Think we'll walk with you for a while."

"Yes, sir," Bates answered.

Sora resisted the urge to look back at him. The note of annoyance in his voice rang clearly enough to her she didn't need to. The guards in front of her started walking again, and Sora followed. She pointedly ignored Sheppard, who walked next to her, and resisted the urge to bring anger down upon Teyla, who walked next to Sheppard.

"I hope these walks and fresh air help break your boredom some, Sora," Sheppard commented quietly.

She still refused to look at him, despite his almost friendly tone. "Some." Her reply was curt, but it did nothing to discourage his conversation.

"Good. Started that book I gave you?"

Sora ground her teeth. Sheppard's tone was easygoing and decidedly conversational, which only irritated her more. "No." She pointedly bit off the end of the word, but her hint did nothing to deter him.

"Too bad," he replied. "It's a good book, and it'd help you fight the boredom."

Her frustration at his mild demeanor spiked. She suddenly stopped and whirled to face him. The three guards and Bates all instantly pointed their stunners at her, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Teyla tense, but she ignored all of them. She glared at Sheppard, who hadn't even flinched at her abrupt behavior. "Why do you care?" she hissed. She pulled in deep breaths, fighting to control her anger as he cocked his head and gave her a thoughtful look.

"Why wouldn't I?" He arched a brow. "We're not the bad guys you think we are, Sora." He held her gaze for a moment before looking at the lead guards and nodding slightly.

Sora turned away from him and resumed walking. The group made their way towards a large exterior door. As they passed through, the guards stopped, giving Sora the space to walk across a large balcony on her own. The spot was ideal and completely secure: situated on the edge of the control tower, every side except the entrance was hundreds of feet above either the ocean or the city. Her first time there, she had checked every angle. There was no escape route for her; to jump the railing at any point would be certain death. She grudgingly admitted to herself that they had picked the perfect spot.

As she started away from her guards, she was distracted by Teyla's voice.

"I believe I will walk with her. There are some things we need to discuss." Teyla's voice was quiet but confident.

Sora stopped and glared at Teyla. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Teyla," Sheppard started, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea…."

Sora briefly glared at Sheppard. His voice held a note of hesitation, but when Sora looked back at Teyla, she saw reassurance on the Athosian's face.

"I will be fine, Major."

Sora again looked at Sheppard, who sighed and nodded once at Teyla. "Okay." He hung back with Bates and the guards as Teyla walked towards Sora.

Sora glared at Teyla, before turning and smartly crossing the deck. She pointedly ignored the Athosian woman even as Teyla trotted to catch up with her and matched her stride for stride.

"We must talk, Sora," Teyla stated quietly. "There are things we must resolve."

Sora's anger flowed freely. "We have nothing to resolve," she spat. "You left my father for dead! I have nothing to say to you other than to warn you that, one day, I will avenge him!" From the corner of her eye, she saw Teyla nod thoughtfully.

"Were I in your place, it is possible I would feel the same… as long as my hatred was not misdirected."

Sora stopped and spun to face Teyla. Even from a distance, she saw Sheppard and his men tense, but Teyla waved them off. Sora refocused her attention on Teyla. "Misdirected? Avenging the death of my father is not misdirection!"

"Is it not?" Teyla cocked her head. "Tyrus was a loyal soldier of the Genii. Are you not trained to give your lives for the cause of the Genii? The mission succeeded, and Tyrus gave his life for it. Is that not a worthy death?" Teyla sighed. "Or do I not understand the Genii at all?"

Sora looked away. It had been ingrained in her, from the first day she stepped upon the path of a soldier, that at any time their lives were expendable: for the sake of the mission, and for the good of their people. To further the cause of the Genii, any soldier had to be willing to give up anything, even life. Her father was no different. Her anger screamed her defiance, and hijacked her voice. "He was my father!"

"He was a soldier," Teyla retorted quietly.

Sora fought back tears and the lump in her throat. Her gaze turned defensive. "You do not really believe that, Teyla Emmagan!" Her words were not questioning.

Slowly, Teyla shook her head. "No. But I am not Genii." She sighed. "You must see past your training, Sora. You feel the death of your father and the ingrained need to avenge him, but why? He died for your cause. By the ways of your people, you should be proud of that."

Sora stopped at the far railing, her hands latching onto it. White-knuckled, she gripped the metal and struggled to control her emotions. "I cannot be proud," she admitted quietly. "I would rather have him back."

Teyla stopped next to Sora. "As would I, in your place."

Sora looked sideways at Teyla as the Athosian turned to face her.

"Major Sheppard did not want to leave Tyrus behind. It… goes against his beliefs." Teyla's gaze hardened. "It was Cowen who insisted. The life-long friend of your father was the one who insisted on leaving him behind." Teyla's voice lowered to a dangerous tone. "There are some values, Sora, daughter of Tyrus, that we share. Vengeance for the death of a loved one is one of those values. Were I in your place, I would wish to avenge the death of my father as well. But," Teyla's gaze narrowed, "I would make sure that my vengeance was directed at the right person."

Sora looked away, her breath coming fast. Conflict coursed through her. Who did she believe? _Was I so easily fooled by Cowen's words? Or am I now fooled by Teyla's?_ She nodded her head toward Sheppard and her security detail, who tensely watched the conversation. "Why do you follow them?" Her voice wavered slightly, but she gave Teyla an inquisitive look. "The Lanteans."

"I do not follow them," Teyla's voice was soft but strong, "I work with them. There is a difference."

Sora stared at Teyla's confident expression.

Teyla gave her a direct look. "The Major's people bring hope for all of us, Sora. Not just for themselves, or my people, or even yours, but for all humans. Not since the time of the Ancestors have we had such a chance to finally defeat the Wraith." Teyla shook her head and looked away from Sora. "You must see, Sora, that serving only the needs of the Genii, at the expense of everyone else, helps no one, including yourselves." She looked back, her gaze slightly imploring. "We will never beat the Wraith unless we all work together."

Sora looked away, her conflicting emotions stealing any words she may have had. A part of her heard Teyla's words, and found wisdom in them, but another part screamed defiance against them. The conflict left her speechless, and motionless. She swallowed hard and looked down at the shimmering ocean. She kept her gaze on the water as Teyla finally turned and walked away.

* * *

John crossed the control room, smiling briefly at Zelenka, before he entered the conference room. It was empty, save for Rodney and Teyla sitting at the far end of the large table. He stood in the doorway for a moment, unnoticed.

"I believe that is all the planets I am familiar with, Dr. McKay." Teyla's voice was slightly edged, the quiet patience it normally held dimmed, presumably, by Rodney's insistent attitude.

"You're sure?" Rodney tapped a couple buttons on the data pad.

Teyla sighed. "Yes. I do not recognize any of the others."

John smiled slightly at her strained expression. "Everything updated?" He held his grin as both of them looked at him.

"Yes, Major." Teyla pushed back from the table and stood. "I have pointed out all the addresses I recognize as inhabited planets to Dr. McKay." She walked away from the table and towards him. She nodded once as she passed him and he silently acknowledged the thanks in her gesture. He looked back to Rodney as Teyla left. Walking around the table, he stopped behind him and looked over his shoulder at the list. "We ready to start scouting these planets?"

Rodney looked up from the data pad and stared straight forward, refusing to make eye contact with John. "As we'll ever be." His tone was annoyed.

John smiled, letting Rodney's attitude roll off him. "Good." He reached down and took the data pad.

"Hey!" This time Rodney did look at John, his expression decidedly irritated. "What are you doing?"

John kept his smug smile. "I thought I'd show the list to Sora and see if anything rings a bell with her."

"Like she's going to help us at all!" Rodney snorted and tried to snatch the data pad back from John, who deftly pulled it out of his reach. "What are we? Twelve year olds?" He glared. "Give it back!"

"She might," John countered. "I think I might be getting through to her." He looked down at the considerably shorter list of addresses.

"Your optimism is nauseating sometimes," Rodney muttered. "Now, give it back."

John shook his head. "Let me show Sora first."

"Fine!" Rodney snapped. "I'll get you a list of the addresses, but give me the pad back."

John's brows furrowed. "Why can't I just take this one?" He held the pad up, waving it slightly. His brow creased further as Rodney's expression turned slightly panicked. "What's the big deal about this data pad?"

"I have more than those addresses on that pad! Thanks to your gun waving antics when Sora escaped, I had to reformulate all my naquada generator calculations, and the last thing I need is for you to bungle around with that thing and ruin my work! Again!" Rodney waved his hand vigorously at John. "Just… put it down!"

"I don't bungle," John protested indignantly.

"Ha! If you don't know how to do something you just start," Rodney's waving intensified, "pressing keys!"

"Gentlemen? Is there a problem?"

The quiet voice from the doorway stopped John's protest. He looked towards the door and felt his embarrassment rise. "Elizabeth, uh, no." He carefully set the data pad on the conference room table. "Not at all." The red on his neck crept up to his cheeks as she arched an amused and knowing brow at him.

Elizabeth looked at Rodney. "Rodney? See that Major Sheppard gets a list of addresses to show Sora, then join me in my office." She glanced at John her expression turning slightly stern. "That is, if you two are finished here?" She didn't wait for an answer but turned and left.

John waited a moment, and then walked towards the exit. "Why do I feel like I just got lectured by my mother?" he muttered.

"Maybe if you didn't insist on behaving like you were twelve…," Rodney snapped quietly, following him.

"Look who's talking," John retorted.

Rodney swiftly darted around John as they entered the control room. "I didn't start it."

John let the comment go as he watched Rodney grab a spare data pad and transfer the addresses, before shoving the device at John.

"Here, happy?" Rodney's tone was decidedly sarcastic.

John smiled. "Yes." He took the pad and left the control room. As he jogged down the back stairs, his light mood faded. Part of him found truth in Rodney's words. Why would Sora help them? Still, he felt compelled to try. _One of these days, she might surprise me._

* * *

Sora drew in a deep breath and leaned over, exhaling slowly while she allowed her body to bend until she touched the floor. The muscles in her back stretched and worked through the knots in them as she slowly inhaled and straightened. She closed her eyes, finding her center, just as Kolya had taught her, before repeating the process. Keeping her eyes closed, she again straightened and let her arms hang loosely at her sides.

With her left leg, she took a step sideways, widening her stance, and shifted her weight sideways, her left knee bending. Her eyes were still closed, and she held tightly to her center. Kolya's words echoed in her head.

_Your center is deep inside you. It is the heart of your spirit, and the strength of every warrior. Find it, hold onto it, and you will always be victorious.…_

Still crouched, she stretched her arms over her head, her balance perfect. Slowly, she stood.

A quiet throat clearing interrupted her thoughts. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at Major Sheppard, who was standing in the doorway watching her. These days, the main door to the brig was left open during the day: Major Sheppard's apparent attempt to make her feel less isolated. As if he could. She would always be isolated among these people….

"Sorry, am I interrupting?"

As usual, his voice was relaxed and conversational. No amount of hostility she directed at him ever changed that, much to her irritation. She sighed, her mood decidedly less annoyed than usual as the effects of her meditation lingered with her. "No. I was nearly finished anyway."

Sheppard smiled at her. "Good." He walked up to the cell. "Mind looking at something for me?" He lifted a display pad and turned it towards her.

Sora scrutinized the list of addresses displayed on the device. "Addresses. For what?" Her gaze narrowed as his turned slightly guarded. Always easy and open with her, the cautious expression that met her gaze was unfamiliar. The expression was fleeting and quickly hidden under a casual shrug.

"They're addresses from the Ancient database. Was just wondering if you recognized any of them."

Sora stared at him for a moment. Addresses, sure, but there was something more he was not telling her. She returned his shrug. "Maybe." She looked at the list again. Most of the addresses were unfamiliar, but a few…. She turned away, her Genii training calling to her. _Not a word! Do not tell them anything!_

"Sora? What is it?"

Sheppard's questioning voice was mildly tense. Inwardly, she winced, realizing she had already revealed too much. "Nothing. I am thinking." Fortifying her neutral expression, she turned back and stared at the list. Her eye caught on the first, familiar address. _Insects… swarms of them._ Her gaze drifted to the next familiar one. _Genii off-world base…_ . Her hesitation lingered, strengthened by the conflicting, torn loyalties she faced. On one side her Genii training screamed at her, but on the other side was a part of her that, oddly enough, wanted to help him; for a brief moment, she listened.

It was all she could do to keep her expression neutral as feelings of betrayal consumed her almost immediately. She saw her father; a proud Genii warrior who had died on a mission… a mission led by the very man who stared back at her. She had loved her father, followed in his footsteps… and he was gone. She, latched onto her Genii training, and squashed the quiet, contrary voice. Hardening her gaze, she looked at him. "I do not know any of these." She held strongly to her expression as his gaze narrowed in suspicion.

"You're sure?"

She lifted her chin, her bearing radiating a confidence she didn't feel. "I am sure." She held her façade as he stared at her for a moment longer, before nodding.

"Okay. Thanks for looking." He walked away, only to stop at the door. He turned back towards her. "I appreciate the help." Without another word he left her alone.

Sora inhaled deeply and let out a long breath before turning away from the entrance. Conflicting emotions churned within her. Her anger sparked. She was Genii! He was the enemy! Helping Sheppard went against everything her training had taught her. Everything that had been ingrained in her since the first day she'd chosen the warrior's path. Kolya would be proud! Her father would be proud! She was Genii and she had followed the Genii way!

But, as she slowly sat down in her chair, Sora couldn't shake the small but persistent worm of guilt that plagued her.

* * *

"Welcome to M55-481," John commented dryly, "address number four on the list." He stopped as he emerged from the wormhole and felt his feet sink slightly in the wet sand while he looked around. To the right, his gaze traveled up a steep cliff; left, he squinted at the breaking waves of a not-too-distant ocean just visible through the thick, drizzly fog. A light rain dampened his face. He glanced back as the rest of his team emerged. "Not an ideal spot for the gate."

"Huh," Rodney pulled out his Life Signs Detector. He took a moment to look up and glare at the falling rain. "Who ordered this?" He blinked against the persistent drizzle for a moment, before returning his attention to the LSD. "Ten thousand years ago, it probably was a nice spot for the gate. Maybe the ocean levels have changed since then."

John nodded. He looked up at the impressive cliff side, and the vegetation peeking over the edge. "Unless we can find a way up there," he pointed, "this isn't going to be much use as an alpha site." He scanned the flat, sparse beach. "Not much here and all we need is a good storm to have to deal with flooding." He returned his attention to Rodney. "Reading anything, McKay?"

"Everything," Rodney muttered, "but, nothing of interest."

John stared at the ocean again, and then at the gate. Residue clung to the lower half. He switched his gaze to the DHD, which was in similar condition. _Could just be from spray and storm tides…. _"McKay," John glanced back at the doctor, "is there any way to tell where high tide is and how long we have?"

Rodney stared blankly at him. "Not really. There's no way to tell what the tide durations are, without knowing the patterns of any moons. Then, if there's more than one that could have an influence…." Rodney looked up. "Of course the weather could impact the tide, and then there's the phases of any moon or moons…."

John raised his hand, cutting off Rodney. "Okay, I get the point." He sighed. "We have two hours before we at least need to check in. Lets head down the beach some and see if there's a way up the cliff." He looked back at his team. "I'm on point, Ford you're on the six. McKay, keep a sharp eye out for tidal changes. Teyla, time us. Forty-five minutes, that's all. We need to be back in time to check in. Let's go."

He walked along easily, occasionally glancing towards the sounds of the ocean, but each time not able to see much through the fog. His thoughts turned reflective as his mind wandered slightly. He stood firm in his belief that they needed their own alpha site to fall back on, but inside he found truth to Smeadon's words….

_Planets are usually uninhabited for a reason, Major. You know that as well as I do."_

John sighed. The Manarian's words seemed to be prophetic. So far they'd found an insanely hot planet, and one crawling with Genii. Then there was the one infested with swarms of what he could only call mosquitoes…. He absently scratched the healing bug bites on his arm, wondering if other Pegasus humans had ever tried to colonize elsewhere and met the same challenges. His thoughts turned to Sora. From all outward appearances, she'd seemed disinterested in the list of addresses he'd shown her. Maybe she really didn't know the planets in question… or maybe she was holding back….

He looked up as the rain intensified, and the wind picked up a little.

"Okay, **this** is annoying!" Rodney swiped a hand across his face to clear away the dampness that was accumulating there.

John's smile was small, his own irritation at the rain lessening at Rodney's predictable complaint. "It's just a little rain, McKay." He squinted, peering through the fog, trying and failing to gauge where the tide had got to.

"Whatever!" Rodney snapped.

"Major? We have been walking for thirty minutes now, yet there is very little change in the cliff side." Teyla's observation distracted him from Rodney's complaint.

"She's right," Rodney's voice was calmer as he stared at his LSD. "It still looks to be pretty sheer. I don't see any way to get up it on foot."

John stopped and faced the cliff. His eyes scanned up the sheer edge. "We could use Jumpers to ferry people and supplies to the top." He pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "But I'm not recommending this as an alpha site until I've had a chance to scout around up there." He nodded to himself. "Let's head back and get a Jumper." He had taken no more than two steps when Rodney's voice stopped him.

"Uhh, heading back may be a good idea anyway…."

Rodney's voice was concerned and hesitant. John looked back at him. "What is it?"

Rodney pointed at the ocean. "I think the tide is coming in."

"Crap," Ford muttered.

John's eyes widened as his gaze followed Ford's to the ocean. The fog had lifted slightly, revealing a waterline that was significantly closer, and moving towards them at an alarming rate with each surge. "McKay! You were supposed to be watching out for this!" John started jogging back in the direction of the gate, his team right behind him.

"I was! Contrary to popular belief, the LSD isn't a crystal ball! It's only as good as the information given it! And we know **nothing** about the tidal patterns on this planet!"

"Weren't you watching the water?" Ford interrupted as he jogged along behind Rodney.

"Oh, excuse me for not being able to see clearly through the **fog!**"

John glanced at the surging waves and shook his head. "Just pipe down and double time it!" he ordered, as he lengthened his stride. He watched his path, continually wishing the gate would come into view. They were thirty minutes away at a walk, at least fifteen at a run, probably more. He was confident he could run the distance in fifteen minutes or less, Ford and Teyla too. But not McKay.

John glanced over his shoulder and slowed his pace slightly, allowing McKay to keep up with them. _Gotta get him into the damn gym!_ He turned his attention to the water as it surged closer. _Crap!_

Twenty minutes went by, and he kept running, angling his path towards the cliff as the water surged closer and closer towards them. "Damn it!" he panted. "Fast tide!"

"Shouldn't we… have more time?" Ford's voice was slightly out of breath.

"Right!" Rodney gasped. "Like we'd… know for… sure! Hourly tidal… changes could be… the norm… for this… planet!"

John staggered as a strong wave washed over his knees, nearly pushing him down. He stumbled, regained his balance, and looked back. He was relieved to see everyone on his team were still on their feet. "Keep going!" He pushed his burning leg muscles and slogged through the knee high water, which surged to thigh high with the next wave. He stumbled hard and winced as the wave threw him against the cliff. "This is not good!" He staggered around a high rocky outcropping and stopped as the gate came into view. "Damn it!" The gate was partially submerged, and the DHD barely showed above the surface of the water. Another wave surged and he stumbled as Rodney was thrown against him. He braced himself and steadied Rodney.

"Is now a good time to point out we can't go through the gate to Atlantis without the water coming with us and flooding the gate room?" Rodney regained his balance and half waded, half floated away from John.

John gritted his teeth, partly from the waist-… scratch that, chest-high cold water, and parly from their situation. "We need to find high ground!" He watched the coming tidal surge. "Please tell me all of you can swim?"

"Yes, sir," Ford immediately replied. Teyla's answer was on the heels of his.

"Yes, Major," she affirmed.

"I can dog-paddle if I have to!" Rodney added.

John watched the round wave of water break as it came towards them. "Trust me, you have to. Watch the cliffs!" He barely got his warning out before cold ocean water surged over his head and his feet lost contact with the ground. He extended his arms and kicked upwards until his head suddenly broke the surface. He pulled in a breath and looked around, relieved to see three faces looking at him. The churning tide had washed McKay about twenty feet to his right, while Teyla was about twenty feet to his left, and Ford another thirty feet or so beyond her. "Everyone okay?" His gaze traveled from one to the next as they each gave him an affirmative response.

He shook his head. The sting of saltwater in his eyes and the sour taste in his mouth were faint nuisances compared to the tiring muscles in his arms and legs. He felt like he had a lead weight tied to his waist. Kicking powerfully, he spared a hand to reach underwater and unclip his P-90, letting it fall away. His hand found his vest zipper, and he pulled it downwards. "Lose the P-90s and vests," he ordered. "They're dragging us down!" He shrugged out of his vest and trod water again, feeling the distinct difference from shedding the extra weight, while he watched his team also rid themselves of their P-90s and vests.

His attention was drawn back to the ocean as another wave came at them. "Heads up!" Helpless against the water, he felt himself lifted and pushed towards the cliffs. An on-again, off-again surfer all his life, he tapped his experience, his instincts telling him how close the cliffs were. He swam parallel to the tide until the last moment, before extending his legs behind him and pushing away from the looming cliff. He glanced at his team during the brief lull before the next surge came at them.

The close proximity of the cliff churned the water and tossed everyone around. McKay, now on John's left, had somehow had found a handhold on at large rocky outcropping and was holding on for all he was worth. Ford rode the waves further out in the ocean than any of them, and Teyla…. John's eyes widened as he watched a wave pick Teyla up and throw her against the rocks not far from Rodney's position. Her broken cry reached his ears as she disappeared under the surface.

"Teyla!" Rodney shouted. He looked on the verge of letting go as he leaned towards where she'd disappeared.

"McKay! Stay put!" John ordered, before he pushed off from the cliff and swam towards Teyla's last position, his strong strokes blunted by the relentless ocean. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ford swimming towards him. As he neared where he'd last seen Teyla, her head broke the surface and she gasped loudly. Her movements were weak as she struggled to stay afloat and her fight was short lived as she disappeared again. Adrenaline surged through John as he pressed his protesting muscles and swam harder. Suddenly, Teyla surfaced, only a few feet away from him. Her coughing was choked and labored as her arms flailed feebly.

John felt a steel-hard cramp in his gut as the cold reality of her distress reached him. Instinctively, he knew if she went down again, she wouldn't come back up. Not on her own. He kicked towards her and lunged, barely snagging the back of her coat. He was dragged under by her sinking weight, but his grip on her coat was vice-like as he refused to let go. Pulling against the churning water, he hauled her towards him and wrapped his arm around her from behind. He kicked hard and surfaced.

Feeling a moment of relief, he sucked in air while he repositioned her in the life-saving hold he'd learned in basic.

_Rule number one in an ocean crash: Keep yourself and your crew alive._

Staying behind Teyla, he ran his arm under one of hers and wrapped it around her chest, his hand free to support her chin and keep her face out of the water. For a moment, he found himself wishing he had some sort of flotation device, but she was light; smaller than most the soldiers he'd ever worked with, and he let the water help buoy her. He pulled her firmly against him, her head resting against his cheek and felt the warm stickiness of blood on his neck. He grimaced slightly, knowing cracking her head on the rocks had at least stunned her.

_Rule number two: ABC's. Airway clear. Breathing…._

He craned his head to stare down at her half-opened eyes, looking and feeling for signs of life. His hand was close to her mouth and nose but, against the surging water and light wind, he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. "Teyla?" He fought against the unrelenting waves as he stared intently at her. "Teyla!" On the verge of shifting her into a resuscitation hold, he felt her convulse. He held fast to her as she coughed violently and retched, her body protesting the saltwater. Her chest heaved as she drew in a loud, rattling breath, before she tensed in disoriented and instinctive panic.

_Above all... stay calm!_

John's grip never wavered as he held tightly to her. "Take it easy." His voice was soft, but insistent. "You're okay. Just relax." After a moment, he felt the tension leave her as her confusion faded.

"Major?" she questioned.

Her quiet voice heartened him. He smiled slightly. "Its okay, Teyla, I got you."

"Sir!" About ten feet away, Ford inched towards them. "You okay?"

"Yeah!" John replied, his gaze not leaving Teyla's face. "I'm okay, but Teyla whacked her head pretty good." He held tightly to her as he looked around. The water level had risen to the point where McKay had managed to scramble out of the water and onto the top of the outcropping he'd been hanging onto. He stared at John.

"Major?" Rodney shouted.

"Sit tight, McKay." John answered. "Ford?"

"Sir?" Ford answered instantly.

"Make for the rocks, Lieutenant. Once you're out, you can give me a hand with Teyla. Hopefully the water won't go too much higher, and we can ride out the tide up there."

"Yes, sir." Ford swam towards McKay as John followed behind him, his side-stroke slow against the strong waves.

He reached the rocks and looked up at Ford and McKay only about four feet above him. Ford lay flat and extended his arm down towards them. John grabbed a jagged edge of the rock and glanced down. "Teyla? Can you reach up and take Ford's hand?" Silence greeted his question. He shook her slightly. "Teyla?"

Teyla nodded faintly. "Yes." Sluggishly, her arm broke the surface of the water, but only barely. John's grip on the small outcropping of rock tightened, his body tensing as he shifted Teyla upwards towards Ford. "Take her."

Ford's fingers scraped over the top of Teyla's coat a few times before he latched onto her arm. His grip slid down to grab her forearm, and he lifted her.

John braced his feet against the rock and helped push Teyla upwards, while Rodney grabbed her other arm and helped Ford. Between the two of them, they pulled Teyla up onto the rock. It wasn't long before Ford extended his arm to John.

"Sir."

John reached up and held tight to Ford's forearm, allowing the lieutenant to help him out of the water. On his knees on dry ground, he sat for a minute, hands braced on his thighs and deep fast breaths flowing in and out of him. He looked up, his gaze immediately finding Teyla.

Rodney had her head cushioned in his lap, and was looking down at her half opened eyes, concern etched on his face.

John crawled over to her side and knelt. Water dripped from his hair and tickled his face. He shook his head. "Teyla?" his voice was soft.

Her eyes opened and cleared slightly. "Major?" She lifted her head and started to sit up. "I am all right…." She made it as far as resting on her elbows, before her eyes slid shut and she noticeably paled. A quiet groan escaped her.

"Whoa… easy," John put a gentle but insistently restraining hand on her shoulder. "It's not often McKay shows compassion," he ignored Rodney's exasperated sigh, "so, take advantage of it. Just lie down and try to relax."

Her eyes never opened. "Major…."

"Lie back, Teyla," John interrupted, hardening his tone slightly as he squeezed her shoulder. "That's an order." He smiled slightly as she settled back into McKay's lap.

"Sir, what now?" Ford asked.

John sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. "Not much we can do but wait and hope it doesn't take too long for the tide to go out." He felt a chill go through him and looked up at the cloudy sky. "At least the rain's stopped. Could use some sunshine though."

As if by command, rays of sunlight began filtering through the clouds. He allowed himself a brief, smug smile as the sunlight warmed his head.

Rodney stared acerbically back at him. "What's next? Part the sea with a wave of your hand?"

John let Rodney's comment roll off him. "Been thinkin' about it." His smile faded as his eyes fell on Teyla. They all shivered slightly from the cold wet clothes they wore, but it was more pronounced in her, probably from her injury. He poured a healthy dose of reassurance in his voice. "How's the head, Teyla?"

"Hurts." Her voice was quiet but strong. A flicker of a smile played at her mouth. "But I will be fine."

John smiled back. "Good."

"Doesn't seem to be bleeding anymore either," Rodney added as he pulled a blood-covered hand away from the back of her head. He blanched. "Blood really…." He swallowed. "Yeah."

John shook his head. "Don't faint, Rodney." He ignored Rodney's annoyed look and looked down at Teyla. "I'd bandage your head, but our vests and supplies…." His voice trailed off.

"Not to mention any food we had," Rodney muttered.

"Hungry already, McKay?" Ford shook his head, his amusement never dampening.

Rodney stared coldly at him. "Fine, sure, you jest now. But, when I fall into hypoglycemic shock, don't say I didn't warn you!" he snapped.

John rolled his eyes. "Relax, McKay. I'm sure the tide will go out long before that point." Leaning back, he sat down next to Teyla and wrapped his arms around his bent knees. He sighed deeply, letting his head fall back slightly and allowing the sun to warm his face. "Besides," he shrugged, "We only have an hour, maybe an hour and a half, before we're overdue and Elizabeth dials in anyway…." His voice trailed off as realization dawned on him. He looked at Rodney, who had apparently come to the same conclusion.

"Radios," they said in unison.

John reached up and tapped the call button on his headset. "Can you hear me, McKay?"

"Besides the fact that I'm sitting next you? No." Rodney sighed.

"Damn it," John muttered. "And the backup radios were in our vests. Can't believe I didn't think to grab one…."

Rodney shrugged. "Not that it would've done any good." He waved dismissively at John's headset. "Seawater and electronics don't get along too well."

"What do we do when Atlantis dials in?" Ford asked hesitantly.

"We could throw rocks," John's quip was dark.

"No good," Rodney immediately answered. "Matter only travels one direction through a wormhole."

"I was kidding, McKay," John sighed.

"Right. Sorry." Rodney muttered.

"What if they send another team?" Teyla's voice was still quiet but slightly stronger.

John winced and looked at the top one-third of the gate, all he could still see sticking out of the water. "I really hope they don't do that."


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth stood on the balcony overlooking the gate, concern mounting within her. Two hours. She'd told John to check in no later than two hours after they'd 'gated to M55-481. She glanced at her watch, just as she had at least a dozen times in the last ten minutes. They were rapidly approaching three hours, and still no word from John's team. John was relaxed in his command in a lot of ways, but when it came to off-world missions, he was all business. It wasn't like him to miss a call in.

She sighed deeply, turned and stared directly at Zelenka. "Radek, dial M55-481." She turned back, watching the gate as the chevrons lit in sequence, before the wormhole flushed into existence.

Reaching up, she tapped her headset. "Major Sheppard, this is Weir. Do you read me?" She shook her head as static greeted her hail. She tried again. "Major Sheppard, this is Weir, do you copy?" She listened again to the uninterrupted static for a moment before looking back at Zelenka expectantly.

He shrugged. "The signal is getting through."

Elizabeth tried to fight off the cold dread in her gut. "Get Bates and Stackhouse up here." She turned back to the gate. "Major Sheppard, please respond." Her concern mounted as she stared unmoving at the gate, until a voice from behind broke her stance.

"Ma'am?" Bates' voice was questioning.

She looked over her shoulder as Bates and Stackhouse crossed the control room to her. She nodded once, curtly, at both of them. "Major Sheppard's team is overdue and not responding to our hails. Recommendations?"

"I can have a team ready in ten minutes to go after them," Stackhouse immediately responded.

"I disagree." Bates looked sternly at Stackhouse for a moment, before giving Elizabeth a penetrating stare. "We have no idea what the Major's team encountered on the other side of that gate."

"All the more reason to get a team on that planet to back him up!" Stackhouse interrupted. He fell silent as Elizabeth raised her hand.

"Just a second, Sergeant." She again met Bates's. "What are you thinking, Sergeant?"

"A MALP, ma'am," Bates answered. "Let's at least send a MALP first and see if we can determine what the situation is, before sending another team."

Elizabeth looked back and forth between them for a moment before nodding at Bates. "Agreed." She turned towards Zelenka. "Radek, ready a MALP for off-world reconnaissance." She looked at Stackhouse. "Sergeant, ready your team. If the immediate area around the gate is clear, you have a go for the mission."

"Yes, ma'am." Stackhouse turned and strode quickly across the command deck.

Elizabeth stared down at the gate room as Zelenka prepped a MALP. She glanced sideways, distinctly aware that Bates still stood next to her.

"We'll figure out what's going on, ma'am," he said quietly.

Elizabeth smiled grimly at him. "I know, Sergeant." She watched as Zelenka trotted away from the MALP and quickly jogged up the stairs back to the command deck.

"Ready." His voice was slightly breathless as he sat down and pulled a laptop towards him.

Elizabeth and Bates both walked over and stood behind him.

"Send it through," Elizabeth ordered, her gaze fixed on the laptop display.

Zelenka typed a few commands, and looked up as the MALP slowly moved through the gate. He gazed at the display. "Telemetry should be coming through soon…."

Elizabeth watched as the static display suddenly cleared. She squinted as she tried to process what she was seeing, but only had a moment before the display wavered and disappeared, to be replaced by static. "Radek?" She looked down at Zelenka's confused expression.

"I do not understand." His hands flew over the keyboard. "Telemetry lost. I cannot get it back."

She glanced at Bates, noting the equal level of concern in his face. "Play back what we have." She looked again at the computer.

"It is very brief." Zelenka's voice was distracted as he continued typing commands."I will slow it down."

"Run it frame by frame if you have to, Radek, but I want to know what's going on." She fought to keep the worry and frustration out of her voice, but a glance at Bates' expression made her realize she'd failed.

An image popped up on the screen and her gaze narrowed in confusion. Most of the picture was dark, with faint smudges of light near the top. "Can you enhance that any?"

"Yes." Zelenka typed some commands and stared at the picture expectantly. Abruptly, the contrast increased. "Zamítnout!" Zelenka muttered.

Admittedly, Elizabeth's Czech was rusty, but she suspected his word matched what she was feeling. "Oh my God," she whispered.

"It's under water," Bates muttered.

"How is this possible?" Elizabeth shook her head. "The first MALP we sent through confirmed viability!"

"Tides," Zelenka's voice was low. "Tidal flow."

"Then its possible Major Sheppard's team found high ground to wait out the tide?" Elizabeth heard the note of hopefulness in her voice that echoed her feelings.

"If they had time," Bates said. "If not…."

"I prefer to think they did." Elizabeth cut him off firmly. She held his gaze, meeting his hesitant look with a strong one of her own, until he nodded silently. "Tell Stackhouse what's going on, and that his mission is scrubbed until further notice." She watched Bates walk away for a moment before she looked down at Zelenka. "Radek? Options?"

Zelenka sighed loudly. "MALP will not work. They cannot be submerged. It appears that gate is not completely under water, but only top one third is above surface."

Elizabeth shook her head. "At the SGC we had U.A.V.'s for aerial reconnaissance. We could use one now." She stepped aside as Radek pushed his chair back and stood. She stared at his thoughtful expression. "Radek? Can you improvise something like a U.A.V.?"

His look turned distracted. "Is possible, yes." He flashed a quick apologetic smile at her. "Excuse me, Dr. Weir."

She waved him off. "Go. Keep me posted." She watched him hurry from the control deck, only turning away as he disappeared down the back stairs. Looking at another control room tech, she nodded slightly. "Shut down the gate." She watched the wormhole disengage and the gate fall dark, all the time fighting the concern within her.

* * *

She hated the quiet.

Sora looked around, sighing slightly as her gaze found nothing in the bland cell to capture her attention. Unbidden, her thoughts turned to Major Sheppard. He'd visited her every day, sometimes more than once, never deterred by her cold treatment of him. She sighed. No matter what she said to him, he would always look evenly back at her, his gaze relaxed, and a slight knowing hint to his eyes. It was almost as if he saw her behavior as a bluff, and was silently… subtly calling her on it.

Frustrated, she jumped to her feet and kicked her chair, sending it noisily clattering across the cell. She stared at the overturned chair for a moment, before she shook her head in disgust and crossed to pick it up. Cynically, she wondered why, exactly, she ever let Sheppard get to her….

Movement in the doorway caught her attention. She looked up, her expression turning defensive as Sergeant Miller stared at her.

"What's going on in here?"

Sora glared at his narrowed gaze, the suspicion in his voice not lost on her. "Nothing. I bumped my chair, that is all." She didn't think it was possible for his expression to become any more suspicious than it was, but he swiftly proved her wrong.

"Sounded like a pretty hard bump."

His unconvinced tone irritated her. "I am fine, by the way," she snapped.

Miller shook his head slightly. "I can tell. Just be more careful." He turned away.

"Sergeant?" Sora's hail surprised even her. _Why am I doing this?_ But there was no turning back when Miller looked at her.

"What?"

"Where is Major Sheppard? I have not seen him today." Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as Miller stiffened, tension filling his posture.

Rock still, he stared hard at her for a moment. "He's off world, not that it's any of your concern." Apparently satisfied with his answer, he turned and left the brig.

She watched his retreating back for a moment. There was much more to what the sergeant had said than his mere words. Instinctively, she knew something was wrong. She turned away. She felt reflexive satisfaction that her enemy met trouble off world, but that reflex was met head on by an unbidden memory.

"_Why do you care?" she hissed. She pulled in deep breaths, fighting to control her anger as he cocked his head and gave her a thoughtful look._

"_Why wouldn't I?" He arched a brow. "We're not the bad guys you think we are, Sora."_

Sora's step faltered as unexpected guilt flowed through her. She was Genii, and should feel proud that her enemy might have met danger, but a part of her, fueled by the voice of reason, refused to be silenced. Sheppard had treated her with nothing but courtesy and respect. Her mind touched on the list of addresses. She'd recognized a few of them, some decent planets, some very hostile. _Where were Sheppard and his team now? Dead? In the hands of the Genii?_

She bowed her head, before flopping down on her bunk. She rested her forearms on her bent knees. She was Genii. Why would she care? She shouldn't care. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at the book, untouched and sitting on the floor in the corner of her cell.

But she did.

* * *

"Oh that's just great," Rodney snapped, before exhaling loudly in frustration. "Scratch that MALP."

John frowned as he watched the MALP bob on the surface for a moment longer, before it flooded completely and sank. "At least they didn't send a team."

"But, they couldn't have got any telemetry either," Rodney protested. "For all they know, the area around the gate is hostile, and we're dead!"

"Stop jumping to conclusions, McKay," John rolled his eyes. "Just because they don't have telemetry and can't reach us doesn't mean they'll write us off as dead!"

"Major, we don't have GDOs or radios," Rodney rebutted. "Just how are we going to get back?"

A brief, cynical smile played at John's mouth. "I haven't quite figured that part out yet." He ignored Rodney's exasperated sigh and ran a hand down his coat sleeve, confirming it was nearly dry. He looked at Teyla, noting her pale face and closed eyes. He was momentarily surprised that in all this time Rodney, who couldn't really shift his weight or move much with her head on his lap, hadn't said a word about it. He smiled slightly. _Not half as heartless as he'd like people to think…_ "Teyla?" he asked quietly, "how you holding up?"

Her eyes slowly opened. "I am well enough, Major."

"How do you feel?" he questioned, carefully watching her response.

"The pain in my head is… considerable, but I nothing that I cannot bear."

John reached up and pulled down the zipper on his coat before shrugging out of it and laying it over her.

"Major," Teyla protested, "I do not…."

"No arguments, Teyla," he interrupted her. "You need it more than I do." He sat back down next to her.

"Sir?" Ford's voice was questioning.

"We still have to wait for the tide, lieutenant," he pointed out. "Until it goes out, we stay put."

* * *

Elizabeth walked down the stairs into the gate room, her gaze fixed on a small machine loosely resembling an SGC U.A.V., which was positioned on a makeshift launch ramp in front of the gate. Zelenka was fiddling with it, quiet Czech phrases occasionally escaping him. He flashed her a distracted smile as she walked up next to him. "Radek? Are we ready?"

He sighed. "As much as possible, yes." His expression turned slightly dubious as he eyed the craft. "The range for telemetry transmission is considerably shorter than SGC U.A.V, but best I could do with what I have and only in one hour. It will video record everything it encounters however."

Elizabeth gave him a reassuring smile. "Well done, Radek."

"Thank you, Dr. Weir." He eyeballed the gate. "U.A.V must emerge in air not water, or will be useless. I believe angle is correct." He looked at Elizabeth, his expression slightly hesitant. "We are ready. I can launch remotely from control room."

Elizabeth followed behind him as he headed for the stairs. She quickly sent a hail over her radio for Bates and Stackhouse to join her. Stopping at the edge of the balcony, she stared down at the aircraft and gave the command. "Launch U.A.V." She watched as the machine fired up, before disappearing through the wormhole. Turning, she quickly made her way to Zelenka's station. From the corner of her eye, she saw both Bates and Stackhouse enter the control room. They came up behind her as she stared down at the computer display. "Anything?" she asked Zelenka.

"Signal should be acquired soon," Zelenka tapped a couple keys. The display flickered, before an impressive view of rolling ocean water greeted them.

"Receiving telemetry," Zelenka's voice was triumphant. "Is working."

Elizabeth stared at the open ocean. "Can you rotate the camera and find the shoreline?"

"Camera will not move," Zelenka replied, "but I can turn U.A.V." He quickly typed commands to the remote-controlled machine and watched as the camera view rotated.

"There!" Elizabeth pointed. "There's the shoreline."

"Directing U.A.V. towards shore." Zelenka continued typing navigational commands. "Hopefully Major Sheppard's team is not far from gate."

Elizabeth nodded as she stared intently at the computer screen. Impressive cliff sides greeted her gaze. "There's no way they would've got up that and off the beach, at least not from here."

"Yes, ma'am," Bates agreed, "it's pretty sheer."

Elizabeth bent over, leaning on one hand as she stared at the computer display. "Radek? Keep looking."

* * *

A faint humming interrupted John's thoughts. His gaze refocused as he turned his head towards the gate. The top chevron lit, and through the water he could see the faint glow coming from the other ones. "Someone's dialing in." He stood and watched expectantly. In predictable fashion, the wormhole flushed into existence, instantly vaporizing all the water in its path. For a moment, the gate was clear, before the relentless ocean crashed in, filling the void. "That's just as cool the second time around," he absently observed. His gaze fixed on the gate. "Please tell me they're not sending a team anyway…."

"That… would be bad," Rodney muttered.

"Yes, it would." John agreed. Suddenly, a small craft emerged from the top of the wormhole. He resisted flinching as it flew low over the ocean. "What the hell is that?" He watched it skim just above the waves.

"It's a U.A.V.," Rodney's voice was incredulous.

"A what?" John grimaced in confusion.

"Unmanned Airborne Vehicle," Ford quickly supplied. "The SGC uses them for off-world recon."

John's mind briefly touched on the Atlantis inventory. "We don't have any U.A.V.'s," he muttered.

"Radek!" Rodney exclaimed. "He's improvised!"

"Zelenka?" John turned towards Rodney. He arched a brow at the sour expression that settled on Rodney's face.

"How many 'Radeks' do you know?"

John rolled his eyes, but let Rodney's comment go.

"They must've got enough telemetry from the MALP before it folded to realize the gate was partially submerged," Rodney went on excitedly. "They couldn't send a MALP or a team, so they had to find another way to search for us."

John nodded. Rodney's explanation made good sense. "Right on, Zelenka," he murmured. He watched as the U.A.V. continued across the water. "But it won't do much good if they don't spot us."

As if on cue, the U.A.V. banked left and started back towards the shore.

"What is it with you and omnipotent commands?" Rodney grumbled.

John shrugged briefly. "Okay, it's headed this way. We need to flag them down." He glanced at Teyla as she pushed herself up on her elbows, freeing Rodney to stand.

She lifted John's coat towards him. "Use this."

John smiled slightly and took the jacket. "Stay put. The three of us will handle this."

Teyla nodded.

John brandished his coat over his head, taking a moment to glance at Rodney and Ford, who were doing the same.

"Over here!" Ford shouted.

"Ford!" Rodney snapped. "It's highly unlikely the U.A.V. is equipped with audio!"

"Then shut up and start moving, McKay!" John interrupted, as he vigorously waved his arms at the approaching U.A.V.

The U.A.V. zipped by, before immediately pulling a one-eighty and coming back towards them.

"That's it, they've seen us." John smiled. Then his smile faded. "But how do we talk to them without radios?"

"At least they know we're alive," Ford added.

"True," John agreed. His gaze narrowed as Rodney stepped up next to him, dangerously close to the edge of the rocks. He watched as Rodney lifted his arms and started making precise gestures. "McKay?"

"It's Semaphore." Rodney's tone was casual, as if his reply explained everything.

"Semi for what?" Ford questioned. His eyes widened as Rodney took a moment to give him an icy stare.

"Semaphore," Rodney enunciated sarcastically. "It's a maritime form of communication where each gesture represents a letter. Normally you use flags but…,"

"McKay," John interrupted. "Somehow I can't picture you in the Scouts. Where did you learn Semaphore?"

Rodney grunted as his arms moved into another gesture. "Various communications systems have always fascinated me. Besides, I have more than a passing interest cryptography. They're pretty closely related."

"Huh." John stepped back and watched as Rodney continued with various signals, stopping when the U.A.V. passed them, and resuming when it came back into range. "What are you telling them?"

"That we don't have radios or GDO's," Rodney replied.

John nodded. "Tell them Teyla's hurt."

"Right," Rodney's voice was distracted as he continued gesturing.

John stiffened as the U.A.V. passed them again, and this time the whine of its engine sputtered. "Uh oh," he muttered.

"Sir, it's in trouble," Ford commented. All their eyes were focused on the struggling U.A.V. as it headed directly towards the cliffs.

"Talent for stating the obvious," Rodney muttered.

John walked along the rocks, watching the U.A.V. intently. "Bank left… bank left… bank…." He grimaced as the U.A.V. slammed into the cliff side, and disintegrated. "Left." He watched smoking debris fall into the ocean. "Crap."

"Oh that's just great! Radek couldn't engineer his way out of a paper bag!" Rodney barked.

"Relax, McKay," John tried to head off Rodney's rant. "They know we're here and mostly okay…." He sighed. "I hope."

* * *

"Telemetry lost." Zelenka tapped away at the laptop.

"Considering the last thing we saw was a looming cliff side, I think it's safe to say the U.A.V. is destroyed." Elizabeth sighed. "At least we know they're alive." She held tight to the optimism that had stuck in her gut from the moment they'd caught sight of John and his team, safe on a high rocky outcrop. Since then, they'd been circling the team's position, trying to decipher what Rodney had been gesturing at them. "Any idea on what Rodney was trying to tell us?"

"Looked like some sort of code," Bates commented. "Don't recognize it though."

"Me either," Stackhouse agreed.

Elizabeth tried to quell her frustration. "Play it back, Radek." She watched as the recorded telemetry started over, and the image switched to show Rodney, Ford and John all waving their jackets in the air, while Teyla lay on the rocks, propped up on one elbow. "It looks like Teyla is injured," Elizabeth commented. "The other three look okay." She shook her head in frustration as Rodney began gesturing, his movements making no more sense to her this time than when she'd first seen them. "What are you telling us, Rodney?" she wondered out loud.

"It's Semaphore!"

Elizabeth looked back at Grodin's animated face. "What?" She quickly walked back to his position.

"Semaphore," Grodin repeated. "It's a standardized set of gestures used to communicate. I learned it in the Scouts when I was a boy." Grodin watched the computer screen. "I didn't recognize it at first, but I knew it looked familiar!"

Elizabeth's small smile showed her relief. She looked up at Zelenka. "Radek? Play it back from the beginning, frame by frame." She watched as the footage rewound and started again, only to freeze on Rodney's first gesture.

"N," Grodin observed. He looked up. "Next?" He stared at the screen. "O, end word."

"NO." Elizabeth muttered. "Radek, next frame."

"X," Peter responded, his voice confused. "X? Next letter, D, and O again. End word." Grodin shook his head. "XDO?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Are you sure you're translating correctly?"

Grodin's voice was confident. "Yes, I'm sure…" his expression brightened. "Wait! X and G are very similar in Semaphore. Maybe he means G?"

"No GDO. That makes sense." Elizabeth smiled. "Rodney got the wrong signal." Her gaze narrowed. "So where are their GDOs?"

"Ma'am," Bates commented. "None of them have vests or P-90s. If they had to swim, they might have had to shed the weight."

Elizabeth nodded. "That makes sense. Next frame, Radek."

"New word." Grodin supplied. "N-O, new word, R-A-D-P-O, end word. Radpo?" Grodin shook his head.

"Another mistake?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Radio?" Stackhouse wondered aloud.

"Logical," Grodin agreed. "If they had to swim, the saltwater surely ruined their radios, and their backups would've been in their vests…."

"Which they had to shed because of the weight. And they were probably ruined anyway," Elizabeth finished.

"New word." Grodin continued. "T-E-Y-L-A, end word. Teyla. New word, H-U-R…" Grodin waited for the U.A.V. to turn and sight back on Rodney, but sighed as the image filled with looming cliff, before it flickered and turned to static. "That's it. That's where the U.A.V. was destroyed."

"Hurt." Elizabeth extrapolated. "Teyla's hurt." Her worried gaze found the gate for a moment before looking back first at Grodin, then Zelenka. "I want options on what we can do for them right now."

"If Teyla's hurt, they could use a medical kit," Grodin offered.

"Yes, yes," Zelenka stood and faced the group behind him. "We could put it in a waterproof casing, and attach some sort of inflatable to it to make sure it surfaces." He sagged slightly. "But there is no way to predict if tidal flow will take case close enough they can reach it."

Elizabeth sighed. "It's worth it to try. Radek, ready a medical kit. Add a few bottles of water and rations as well. And throw in a GDO and a radio."

"Ma'am," Bates interrupted. "Extra clips for their side arms would be prudent, just in case. Especially since they don't have their P90's."

Elizabeth nodded once. "Agreed, but keep it small, Sergeant. There are other things they need as well, and it all has to float."

"Yes, ma'am," Bates accompanied Radek from the control deck.

Elizabeth tapped her radio headpiece. "Carson, do you copy?"

"Aye, Dr. Weir," Carson answered almost immediately.

"Zelenka and Bates are headed your way, Carson." she continued, "Sheppard's team is stranded off world, and it looks like Teyla may be injured. We don't know the extent of her injuries, but should be able to send a basic medical kit through to them. I need you to put something together. And keep it light. The case has to float."

"Float?" Carson's voice was confused. "Teyla's injured? Ach. They're stranded?"

Elizabeth smiled sympathetically at his reaction to being caught completely off guard. "Get something together, Carson, then come up here and I'll fill you in."

"Aye, should be an interesting briefing. Beckett out."

Elizabeth allowed herself a small smile, before looking back at the gate. Her smile faded. _Hang in there, guys._

* * *

"Sir, look!" Ford pointed at the active Stargate.

John's gaze followed the lieutenant's gesture, and he squinted as a distinct ripple in the event horizon indicated something had come through the wormhole. Almost immediately, a small, tan-colored balloon-like object burst through the surface of the water and bobbed aimlessly. "What's that?"

"It must be keeping something afloat," Rodney commented. "Looks like they're trying to send us some provisions."

"Well the tide is carrying it away." John shook his head, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a way to coax the supplies their direction. A loud splash derailed his thoughts. His eyes widened as Ford surfaced in the waves a few yards away and swam strongly towards the balloon. "Ford! What the hell are you doing?"

"It's an easy swim, sir," Ford called back as he reached the balloon and grabbed it. He dragged it behind him as he swam back.

"Unless you get attacked by some funky alien sea monster!" John shouted. "Get your butt back here pronto!" Before long, he was leaning over and snagging the large case Ford handed up to him. He shoved it at McKay, and then extended his arm to help Ford scramble up the rocks.

He glared at the soaking wet lieutenant. "You ever do something that reckless again, and I'll have you on graveyard guard duty for the rest of your life." He glowered at Ford for a moment, before softening his look some. "That said, nice work, Lieutenant."

Ford's face split into a wide grin. "Thank you, sir."

John looked at Rodney as the doctor opened the case and smiled. "Oh yeah. Water, Power Bars, extra nine-mil clips and medical supplies." He lifted a small device in the air. "Not to mention a GDO." Rodney rummaged further. "And a radio."

"Guess they understood your messages." John waved for the radio, and Rodney handed it to him. He looked back at the active wormhole, stood and flipped the radio on. "Atlantis, this is Sheppard."

"Major," Elizabeth immediately responded. "It's good to hear your voice."

John smiled slightly. "Yours too. Thanks for the supplies."

"You're welcome. Are you all okay, Major?"

John heard the concern in Elizabeth's voice. "Ford, McKay and I are fine. Teyla cracked her head pretty hard on the rocks when the tide came in, though."

"Major," Carson's voce broke into the conversation, "is Teyla conscious?"

John looked back at Teyla and smiled briefly. "Yeah. She's a little woozy, but conscious and pretty coherent."

"Let me talk to her," Carson insisted.

"Copy that." John knelt and held out the radio to Teyla.

Without lifting her head from where it was cushioned on John's jacket, she took the radio. "This is Teyla."

"Teyla, lass. How are ye feeling?" Carson's voice was gentle.

Teyla smiled faintly. "My head hurts, but I will be fine."

"Hang in there, lass. We'll get ye home soon enough." Carson reassured her. "Let me speak to the Major."

John took the radio back and stood. "This is Sheppard."

"Major," Carson answered, "Bandage her head, give her a little water, and make sure she takes it easy until you can get back here."

"Copy that. Thanks, Doc."

"Major?" Elizabeth returned to the radio. "Is there anything else we can do for you right now?"

John sighed and watched the rolling ocean for a moment before responding. "Not really. We're pretty much stuck until the tide goes out."

"Understood," Elizabeth replied. "We'll check in with you every few hours. Weir out."

"Copy that," John replied, "Sheppard out."

John set the radio in the medical case, and snagged a bottle of water and some bandages. He handed the water to Teyla. "Drink that while I wrap your head."

"Are there more…?" Teyla's voice trailed off as John waved at her.

"There's plenty. Drink it." He set to bandaging her head as she sipped the water. He quickly finished and grabbed more water and a Power Bar for himself. He took a long pull of water and nibbled the Power Bar. He lay back on the rocks, his mind drifting as they waited out the high tide.

"Sir?" Ford's voice cut the silence that had settled over them in the last hour. "I think the tide is going out."

John sat up and looked over the edge of the rocks before looking at the cliff side. He smiled as he spotted a rapidly drying water line, higher than the current water level. "Looks that way. Let's hope it goes out as fast as it comes in."

"It only has to go far enough to free the gate," Rodney added, "After that, we don't care."

"True." John's gaze fixed on the Stargate. "Yep, definitely going down."

Another half hour passed as they anxiously watched the tide recede. The gate was nearly exposed, and half the beach was dry land again, when John nodded at his team. "Okay, let's get going. Ford, McKay, pack up the supplies and take it easy climbing down. I'll help Teyla."

"Yes, sir," Ford nodded.

John knelt next to Teyla, his arm resting casually across his bent knee as he smiled at her. "Ready to get out of here?"

Teyla slowly pushed herself up on her elbows, allowing John to grab his coat from behind her head. "Yes. I believe I am ready for a soft bed now."

John's smile broadened as he shrugged into his coat, stood and extended his hand to her. "Nice and easy. We have lots of time, so take it as slow as you need to, okay?"

Teyla nodded and took his hand.

John supported her, only lifting when he felt she was ready, and slowly helped her to her feet. His arm snaked around her waist as Teyla wavered and groaned. "Easy. You okay?"

Teyla swallowed hard. "I feel… sick."

John nodded. He'd seen the wound on her head, and wasn't surprised. "Take a couple deep breaths." He held her for a minute until she felt stronger on her feet.

"I am better," she whispered.

John loosened his hold. "Okay. I'm going to have to carry you down, Teyla. It's not far, but I don't think you can make the climb safely."

"Major…."

"No arguments, Teyla," John admonished lightly. "You're in no condition to climb down. Now, I'm going to kneel, I want you to put your right arm under mine, and your left arm over my left shoulder, then clasp your hands together and hold on. I'll do the rest, okay?" He knelt, waiting while Teyla did his bidding. Then he slowly crawled over the edge of the rocks. "Here we go," he commented, his voice reassuring, as he carefully started his descent to the beach.

His muscles protested the extra weight, but he remained silent as he slowly made his way downward. The jagged edges of the rocks cut into his hands each time he found a handhold, but he tuned the pain out, glad he didn't have far to climb. He sighed in relief as his feet hit the sand and he knelt. "Ford, give her a hand."

"Yes, sir." Ford answered.

John felt Teyla's weight leave his back, and he slowly stood, wiping perspiration from his forehead. He smiled at Teyla's pale face. "That wasn't so bad."

Teyla smiled faintly back at him as John relieved Ford of her weight. He draped one of her arms over his shoulders and held onto her waist. Looking up, his gaze found Rodney.

"McKay, dial it up. Let's go home."

* * *

"I have to admit, I wasn't sure you'd read it."

Startled, Sora snapped her attention from the book and fixed it on Sheppard. She had been so engrossed in the novel, she hadn't heard him enter the brig. She felt a flash of irritation at his smug look.

"Glad to see I was wrong." As usual, Sheppard's voice was easy and conversational as he walked closer to the brig.

Sora buried her surprise under a cold mask. "I was bored," she retorted, before dropping the book on her bunk. She stared evenly at him as his expression turned cynical.

"I'm sure."

Her irritation intensified, but she refused to show it. She sat silently on her bunk, watching, as he slowly walked around her cell and stopped perpendicular to her.

He pointed in roughly the direction of the book. "Interesting, isn't it?"

Sora's disinterest was feigned. Truthfully, the book had enraptured her, fascinated her and given her a perspective she'd never considered. Deep inside her, her training… her ingrained Genii way of life protested loudly. "Not really." She sighed heavily as one side of Sheppard's mouth turned up slightly.

"Really? I thought it was pretty interesting."

His humor faded and Sora felt herself wilt under his intense look.

"Gave me a perspective I'd never really had before," he added.

Part of Sora panicked, but she kept it at bay. Was that not what she saw and felt? A different perspective? She dodged away from the similarities between them, finding her personal wall. Her gaze settled on his hands, which were a little swollen and covered with deep scratches. "Have trouble on a mission?" She met his gaze with a cocky sarcastic one of her own as she needled him, sharing the frustration she felt. Her black humor faded as his expression darkened.

"You could say that, yes. One of the planets on the list I showed you." His gaze turned calculating.

Sora saw the chink in his personal armor and pushed at it. "Too bad." She shrugged. She saw the hole widen and anger find its way into his expression. She smiled mockingly, remembering a time not long ago when he'd visited with dozens of bites on his arms and face. "At least it wasn't swarms of bugs this time." Her smile faded as his expression darkened further. He stepped closer to the cell.

"No, as a matter of fact, it wasn't." His voice was low and deep. "We were cut off from the gate by a fast tide that nearly drowned Teyla. I had to carry her down from a cliff because she whacked her head so hard she could barely walk." His gaze narrowed. "Guess it was one of those planets you didn't recognize," he added, with a note of sarcasm of his own.

Sora's newfound satisfaction drained away along with her smile. "Is Teyla all right?" The words slipped from her mouth before she even had a chance to think, and drew a measured look from the Major.

"Why do you care?" he asked bluntly.

Sora steeled herself and stared challengingly back at him. "I do not." She kept her expression strong as he stared hard at her.

"She's fine. She'll be back to herself in a week or so."

Sora kept her expression neutral but inwardly chastised herself at the unexpected relief she momentarily felt. Immediately, her mind rationalized it. _If she had died, I would never have had my revenge…._ She drew in a deep breath and broke gazes with him. Looking for an excuse to change the direction of the conversation, she gestured at the discarded book. "What is this 'Russia' he speaks of? Is that where you are from?" She hardened her gaze at his slight chuckle.

"Me? No. And it's a good thing my father didn't hear you say that." Sheppard scratched his head. "Well, not anymore, but when he was younger…"

Sora watched him pace, her confusion deepening. He must have seen it in her face, because he stopped in his tracks and smiled sheepishly.

"No. I'm not Russian," he admitted. "Our world is made up of many nations, Sora. Not just one. I'm from a nation called America. The Russians and the Americans…," he rubbed his chin, "well, we used to not get along so well."

"Then your father," Sora's curiosity was piqued, "does not like Russians?" She cocked her head as he laughed again.

"It's not so bad anymore. See, my dad is retired military. When he was serving, things were… tense between the Russians and us. Most of the people of my nation felt that way."

She stood, crossed the cell and stared directly into his eyes. "And you tell me I am wrong to not trust you, when the people of your world cannot even trust each other." She held her challenging look as his gaze narrowed and turned thoughtful.

"I'm not going to tell you that things are perfect where I come from. They're far from it. But there are Russians serving in this expedition, along with people from dozens of other nations. We're working together for a common good." He leaned forward slightly. "We've put our differences aside in the face of something bigger than us. That," he emphasized, "is what the Genii can't seem to do." He turned and walked a few feet away.

Her mind reeled. Conflict found her again. Some of what she'd read, what she'd heard from him, appealed to the rational side of her, but so strong was her upbringing and her training that she reflexively denied it.

"Did you know McKay is Canadian?"

Sheppard's voice snapped her from her thoughts. She looked at him in mild confusion.

"It's another one of the nations on my world," he supplied. "If my nation would've gone it alone, McKay wouldn't be here." An ironic smile played at his mouth. "And we'd all be dead a few times over by now, if he hadn't been there to pull some brilliant idea out of his butt." He looked around before giving her a half-cynical, half-amused look. "But don't tell him I said that. His ego's bad enough."

Whether it was his expression, or the fact that she'd seen enough of McKay to know exactly what he was talking about, she wasn't sure, but she suddenly found herself fighting to keep a smile from her face. Her struggle was apparently obvious to Sheppard.

"That couldn't be a smile, could it?" His voice was slightly mocking.

Sora quickly turned away and fought to regain her composure. When she looked back at him, her face was stoic. She scrutinized him. Around his eyes she could see a touch of warmth that had not been there before. He had caught a glimpse of her without her barrier, her strength to protect her. Irritated, she hardened her gaze, but his expression didn't change.

"The Genii are the only 'nation' of people on my world. We all work together for ourselves and don't need anyone else." Her voice was more haughty than usual, and inwardly she chastised herself for being that defensive. She watched him coolly as he nodded and walked back towards her cell.

"Dunno… you seemed pretty interested in our C4 and Jumpers… well, that and McKay's brain. Sounds like your all-knowing people could still use an ally like us."

Sora glared at him. Part of her conceded him the point but, again, the reflex that was her Genii training won out. "We will take from you what we need… and leave you behind for the Wraith to feed upon." Inwardly, she seethed, as his knowing expression remained unchanged.

"You'll never win the war that way…," he leaned forward slightly, "and I think you know it."

She watched as his expression turned distracted, his hand reaching up to his radio headset. She stepped back as he grimaced and tapped the call button.

"Can't this wait?" His grimace deepened. "Okay, all right, McKay. I'll be right there." He looked back to her and nodded once. "Think about what I said. Without another word, he turned and exited the cell.

Sora whirled away from the cell wall and ran a frustrated hand through her hair as she paced. Her anger stayed with her; for how long, she didn't know. As it ebbed, her attention was drawn to the book she'd discarded on her bunk. Slowly, she sat down next to it, crossed her legs under herself, and looked sideways at it for a long moment. Tentatively, she reached out and picked it up, opened it to the page she had left off on, and started reading.

* * *

"What was so important that you had to bring us up here _right now_? I was in the middle of a conversation with Sora."

Elizabeth smiled at the note of irritation in John's voice as they entered the control room.

"Oh of course!" Rodney glared at John. "Your hopeless attempt to convert a Genii warrior to 'see the light' is endlessly more important then a possible Ancient structure within our own solar system!"

"What?" Elizabeth beat John to the reply. She glanced at the short scientist standing next to Rodney. "Dr. Gaul?"

Gaul had a decidedly excited look on his face. He turned and pointed emphatically to a display behind him.

Rodney typed a few commands into the console and several lines appeared on the screen, all intersecting with the object that had originally been displayed. "Brendan discovered this object on a routine surveillance of Atlantis' solar system. The kicker? It's actually situated at a Lagrangian Point." He looked back and smiled.

Elizabeth blinked and tried to understand exactly what Rodney was saying. She shook her head slightly. "And that would be…?"

Rodney leaned back against the console. "Lagrangian points are the stationary solutions of the circular restricted three-body problem," he rattled off. "The gravitational fields of two massive bodies combined with the centrifugal force are in balance at Lagrangian points, allowing the third body to be stationary with respect to the first two bodies."

Elizabeth sighed and glanced at John, who rolled his eyes. "It's a point where gravitational influences from two larger bodies on a smaller one are cancelled out, allowing the smaller body to remain stationary with little or no power to stay that way. It'd be a hell of a coincidence if it was naturally occurring." He smiled sarcastically at Rodney, who grimaced. "Right?"

"Totally imprecise and muddied explanation, but essentially correct," Rodney snapped back.

"We think it's a satellite," Dr. Gaul chimed in.

"You're presuming," Rodney interrupted, glaring at Gaul.

"Oh come on, Rodney, you saw the readings, what else is it?" Gaul shot back.

"Yes, yes! It's _likely_ a satellite, but we don't know that for sure…."

Elizabeth frowned. "Gentlemen. Please come to the point."

"Since the satellite is local to this solar system, it was probably constructed by the Ancients." Gaul said quickly, before Rodney could respond. "What its purpose was or is, we really don't know. It could be anything from a research outpost to a weapons platform."

"Weapons?" John interrupted, his attention piqued. Scientific babble was one thing but Ancient weapons…

"You and your big guns," Rodney muttered just loudly enough that John could hear him.

"I happen to like advanced weapons that could help us against the Wraith when they show up," John shot back.

Elizabeth nodded. "Agreed. It's worth having a look."

John pointed to a planet on the screen not far from the Lagrangian Point. "We'll gate to that planet in a Jumper and fly up to it."

"Ideal, but no." Rodney interrupted. "There isn't a gate on that planet, and considering it's within this solar system, I'm not surprised. Why would the Ancients put a gate so close? They could fly to the planet easily enough."

"So you're saying a Jumper can reach it from here?" Elizabeth drew the conclusion from Rodney's words.

"Long trip, but yes," Rodney replied.

"How long?" John eyed Rodney suspiciously.

Elizabeth glanced at him for a moment before looking back to Rodney.

"Fifteen hours, if we're lucky." Rodney grimaced.

"Ah." John's brows arched before he scrunched them and also pulled an unhappy face. "Great."

Elizabeth smiled first at Rodney then at Gaul. "Good work both of you. We'll debrief on this at 0900 tomorrow and plan a mission." Before either of them could say anything else, she turned and headed for the back stairs. She glanced over her shoulder as John caught up with her. "Major. You don't look happy."

"Thirty hours round trip in a Jumper with those two? Not my idea of fun."

Elizabeth smiled at his less than enthusiastic tone. "You could have someone else fly them," she offered, already knowing what his answer would be. Natural curiosity was something the Major had in spades, and two bickering scientists wouldn't quell that within him… in spite of his grumbling.

"No, that's okay, I'll do it. McKay might need me to touch something on the satellite, and those two are going to need a referee." He frowned and added in an undertone, "A babysitter is more like it." He inhaled deeply. "Besides, next to you I'm the only one that can rein Rodney in when he gets his hands on Ancient technology." He rolled his eyes. "Although after fifteen hours listening to him and Gaul, the thought of stranding either one of them on some remote satellite might be appealing…."

Elizabeth laughed as she turned at the first intersection and headed for her quarters. "We'll discuss it in the morning."

* * *

The book was half done. Sora let the heavy tome in her lap rest against her bent knees as she reached behind her and punched her flattened pillow. She looked up as Major Sheppard walked towards her, his movements stiff. She gave him a long, measured appraisal. While his expression was the relaxed and confident one she had grown used to seeing, there was a slight underlying tension shadowing it. Nevertheless, he smiled at her as he approached the cell.

"Sora. Still reading the book I see."

She inclined her head briefly at him. "Major." Her gaze narrowed as he flinched slightly. "You are injured," she stated plainly, before standing up and walking towards him.

He drew in a tentative breath, wincing as he did. "Just some bruised ribs. Nothing serious." He smiled mischievously. "Don't worry about me."

Sora stared blandly at him, again annoyed by his good humor: something she had yet to quell in spite of her best efforts. "I do not anyway." She followed him as he walked around her cell. "How did it happen?"

His expression darkened. "On a mission. Downed Wraith ship with the chance to gain some valuable insight into their technology. Problem was, there was one Wraith left hibernating. Damn thing was strong…."

Sora stopped in her tracks, feeling first surprise and then a grudging respect. Her actions were not lost on Sheppard, who paused a few feet ahead and looked back at her.

"What?" he inquired.

Sora hated the respect she felt for him, but the soldier part of her could not deny it. To meet a Wraith personally and survive was impressive. "There are not many of my people that have met the Wraith face to face and lived to tell of it," she grudgingly admitted. She watched as, instead of showing pride, his expression darkened.

"Not all of us did."

His low reply was almost lost in the hum of the force field. Sora turned thoughtful. There was pain and regret in his expression, but she expected that. Any military commander keenly disliked losing people under his command. But there was more. Intuitively, Sora realized the regret ran much deeper than she expected. She shook her head. The Lanteans were often soft, inexperienced in the ways of this galaxy and surviving the Wraith. "People die on missions," she stated matter-of-factly.

For the first time in their many conversations, all good humor fled from his face, to be replaced by anger. She fought the urge to recoil.

"Genii commanders may casually dismiss the lives of people under their command, but I don't." A dark, condemning tone colored his voice.

Sora felt her own anger rise. "We do not," she hissed at him. "Every lost Genii life is mourned! But, we do not dwell upon it. We accept it and go on."

His expression darkened further. "Losing one life under my command is unacceptable!"

"Then you are naïve!" she shot back. She stood her ground in the face of his scathing look. "You call the Genii reckless, fanatical and ruthless. Maybe we are! But you have never fought for the very lives of your people! For more than your 'nation' or your way of life. For your very existence!" She had a full head of steam. She knew her words angered him, but she was beyond caring. "The Wraith would wipe us from existence without a second thought! That is what my people have endured for countless generations! That is why we fight as we do, knowing full well that some of us will never live to reap the benefits!" She met his glare head on.

"I refuse to charge recklessly into a dangerous situation and put my people at undue risk!" He waved a hand dismissively at her. "Your people are rash!"

The insult fuelled Sora's anger. "Are we?" she spat. "Or are we just more willing to go to whatever extent we have to in order to survive?" She lifted her chin proudly. "You have spent much time telling me all the ways the Genii are wrong and your ways are right! All the things I could learn from you and your people! But there is much you could learn from mine! You are tentative, Major. You are too unwilling to risk yourselves and the lives of your people for the greater good. And yet you are fighting an adversary who will not be beaten otherwise!" She turned and paced across her cell before spinning and facing him again. "You speak of working together to rid the galaxy of the Wraith, yet you will not accept that your way may not always be the right way!"

"Now wait just a damn minute," he interrupted hotly. "I've risked the lives of myself and my team more than once, but it has to be a damn good reason!"

"And who decides that? You? You have not spent your entire life… the entire life of your people for countless generations fighting and dying against the Wraith. Yet you are quick to pass judgment on those who have!" She stalked back across the cell and stood as close to him as the force field would allow. "There is much you could learn from the bravery of the Genii, Major Sheppard, if you would but open your eyes to it!" Her anger flowed freely and she panted as she glared at him, meeting his infuriated look with one of her own.

Suddenly, fear called to her. She had pushed him hard, and part of her was now afraid he would no longer treat her humanely because of it. She knew many Genii, her own commander included, who would have resorted to violence over far less than this.

Yet after a minute, she had to hide her surprise as his gaze softened. He looked away, a humorless, cynical smile quirking his mouth. "That was a hard pill to swallow," he muttered.

Guarded, Sora watched him, her anger lessening. She held her stoic expression as he looked back at her, a hint of amusement touching his features.

"Teyla said something similar not too long ago, but I really didn't listen to her." He shook his head. "Now you're saying the same thing…," he looked up at her, his eyes slightly mocking, "although not as nicely." He sighed deeply. "I guess maybe I should start listening." He shook his head. "I still think the Genii are too rash…," he raised a placating hand at the surge of anger he saw in her face, "but we probably could learn something from your people's experience."

Sora was shocked to the level that she couldn't keep it from her expression. Instead of denial, she saw acceptance. Instead of anger and retribution, she saw understanding and self-awareness. As stark as night to day, for the first time Sora saw the fundamental differences between the principles of her Genii upbringing, and the foundations of belief that Sheppard had. Had he been a Genii, anger, hatred, torture and denial would have come on the heels of her words. But instead, and in spite of how hard her words had been for him to accept, he had stepped back and seen things from her perspective; an ability that allowed him to widen and better his own. _Were her people so narrow minded that they were hurting themselves?_

She started slightly as he again walked around the perimeter of her cell. He stopped near the entrance to the brig and looked back at her.

"I guess that's all the more reason why our people should be allies, instead of enemies," he stated quietly. He flashed her a small half-smile, before turning and leaving the brig.

Sora was rooted in place, her mind racing. The strong, loud voice of her Genii training, the anchor she had held onto most of her life, was silenced for the first time. Her rational mind had found so many things she couldn't discount that she no longer could turn away from the perspective that was quietly pushing at her.

It was a long time before she moved.

* * *

John turned away from the long-range sensors, anger setting a hard line to his jaw. _Two weeks…._ From the moment they'd lost the ZPM to the Brotherhood, he'd felt the frustration of its loss, but never as keenly as now. The Wraith were two weeks away, and without a ZPM….

He looked at Elizabeth, noting the grave tension she hid behind a mask of confidence. He absently scratched his cheek, wincing slightly at the tender bruise Kolya's fist had left him with. _Kolya… how did that son of a bitch know about us? _"I wonder if our guest knows anything…."

Elizabeth cocked her head slightly. "Sora? How?"

He felt his gaze darken. "One of the Dagan women tipped off Kolya. She must've been a spy, or an informant. Where there's one, there might be more…".

Elizabeth's gaze narrowed at him. "And you think, as a member of Kolya's team, Sora might have some information that could help us recover the ZPM?"

"Like she's going to tell us anything," Rodney interjected.

"There is that," John agreed. His frown deepened. Without another word, he left the control deck.

* * *

A crick in her neck pulled Sora's attention from _War and Peace_. Laying the nearly finished book on her bunk, she stood, rolled her neck and slowly walked around her cell. The story lingered in her thoughts. Why did the Major give it to her? What did he hope to accomplish?

The theories were interesting. At first she'd balked at what she'd read; so much of it went against her ingrained training. But as she read on, she began to see the writer's words for what they were. He sounded very pessimistic in his views, and so much of what he referred to – people, places events – was unknown to her, but what he was saying seemed to apply regardless. Still, her training turned her away from it.

Movement at the door to the brig caught her attention. She stopped and faced the open door as Major Sheppard walked through.

She kept her expression neutral, but inside her curiosity, tinged with some alarm, sprang to life. His expression was haggard and worried, and she knew something was wrong. She watched him walk towards her, his motions slightly stiff for the second time in a few weeks. This time, he was sporting a bruise to his cheek, as if someone had hit him. He stopped and stared closely at her. She looked evenly back.

"Sora."

His voice was neutral, but she sensed the tension behind it. "Major." She narrowed her gaze slightly. "What is wrong?"

He just stared back at her, his expression cold. "What do you know about Dagan?"

Sora's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She'd heard of it; knew the Genii had at least one operative among the scientists there. The New Brotherhood had access to Ancestor technology the Genii wanted. They'd been trying to get an agent into the Brotherhood for some time. She swallowed, but remained silent. Her fear rose as the Major's eyes narrowed in anger at her lack of response.

"Don't play the innocent with me, Sora. Your Commander nearly killed my team and me on Dagon! Tell me what you know. Now."

"Kolya," Sora whispered. She cocked her head slightly in confusion. "What did he want with you?" She looked away, muttering to herself. "Why would he be on Dagan…?" She looked back at the Major, and fell silent as his expression turned scathing.

"Damn it, Sora! The Wraith are coming! Three hive ships are going to be here in two weeks! We had to fight off your commander for a ZPM because someone told him we were there, only to lose it to the natives! Without that ZPM, we don't stand a chance in hell of defending ourselves from the Wraith!"

She was confused. He'd descended on her and demanded answers with an anger and tension she'd never seen. Part of her was scared. He'd told her over and over again he'd never hurt her or torture her for anything, but the boiling fury she saw in his eyes made part of her doubt his word. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you telling me all of this?" She crinkled her brow, her confusion deepening at his cynical snort.

"What the hell do I have to lose?" He threw his hands in the air and paced in a small circle in front of her cell. "What does it matter if you know? Unless we find a ZPM to defend Atlantis in the next two weeks, we're all going to be killed anyway!" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

Sora watched him, part of her shocked at what she saw in him. The tension, the worry the…

…fear.

She felt like someone had punched her in the gut as she scrutinized his body language further. Subtle and carefully masked though it was, nonetheless she could see fear in his expression. Backed in a corner, faced with the destruction of Atlantis and the death of his people, desperate acts were no longer beyond consideration. She felt her own fear rise. A cold sweat formed on her brow and she slowly backed away from him. She couldn't tear her eyes from his, even when his gaze narrowed in confusion at her demeanor.

"Sora? What…?"

Her heart pounded, words constricted by a tightening in her throat. Even as his voice trailed off, she wondered if she could find hers. She tore her eyes from his and fixed her gaze on the floor, her breathing turning rapid. Fear spiked in her again, as she heard him take a step closer to the cell.

"Sora?"

His voice was calmer, a note of concern added. She latched on to that concern and found her voice. "You need… information." She couldn't keep the waver from her statement, and a small voice inside chastised her for it. _Be strong!_ She knew she was pale, she knew that he must be able to see the trickle of sweat that ran down her cheek, but she pulled on all the strength she had, took a deep stuttering breath and forced herself to look him square in the eyes. What she saw shocked her. Realization had dawned on him; all the anger was gone from his face, his expression a cross between regret and compassion. His brow wrinkled as his voice turned reassuring.

"No, Sora. Don't think it. We… I'd never do that to you, I don't care what the stakes are."

She stared hard at him. Part of her wanted to believe him. In the time she'd been there, he had never mistreated her; none of them had. He had been reasonable to her, he had treated her with dignity, and never once did he demand anything from her. But he was a soldier; sworn to protect his people no matter what. And now he was desperate, and she knew all too well that desperate men sometimes did desperate things.

He must've seen the conflict on her face, because his expression turned imploring, almost like he cared, like he really wanted her to believe him.

"Sora, it won't happen. I promise. All I'm asking for is a little help here." His voice lowered. "For all of us. What happens to us, happens to you. I know the Wraith cull every inhabited world in this galaxy, but this is different. You've seen the control room. You know what kind of advanced technology Atlantis has. Do you really want all of this to fall into the hands of the Wraith?"

She swallowed and turned away, her breath coming in short pants as her mind raced. She was torn; her training screamed at her to resist, but the rational part of her urged her to help. She pulled in a deep breath, her fear fading. He had given her every reason to trust him. Her gaze settled on the large book still lying on her bunk. The history of her people was so ingrained. The Wraith culled them; they rebuilt their society; and they trusted no one. Were they really caught in a vicious circle of repeating history and none of them had noticed? Could the author of that book, a man from another world, have identified the Genii way of life so accurately?

"Sora, please."

His words were quiet and almost pleading, at least as much as she would ever expect to hear from a military commander. Faintly, she heard the slight hum of the shield, and she was reminded of the awesome power of this place. _May the Ancestors help all of them if this city fell to the Wraith…. _Perspective swept through her and she accepted it. For the first time in her life, she saw a bigger picture; realized there was so much more than just the Genii's interest at stake. She turned back to him, noting his look of slight surprise at the determination that must have shown on her face. "The Genii have been trying to infiltrate the Brotherhood for some time. Information through our network led us to believe that the Brotherhood had access to a very powerful Ancient weapon. We believe it is called a Potentia."

Sheppard sighed loudly. "That's it. That's the ZPM. Their lead scientist, along with McKay, managed to track it down. They believed we were the Ancients and were willing to give it to us. They double crossed us when they found out we weren't."

Sora nodded thoughtfully. These bits of information fit well into what intelligence she'd been privy too. "So, our informant sent word to Commander Kolya that your people were there looking for the Potentia, and he came to see if you had succeeded?" She arched her brows slightly at the flash of anger that crossed the Major's expression.

"Damn near killed us too," he muttered.

She stared evenly at him. "You were lucky to escape him." She watched as he stiffened slightly. She looked away, inwardly wincing at the harshness of her words. "But," she added quickly, "you also skilled, Major. Your people are very good. I'm sure that had something to do with it."

His grunt was non-committal, but he said nothing more in response.

"Did the Brotherhood give any indication where they were taking the Potentia?" Sora continued.

"Only that they were taking it to another world for safe keeping." He sighed loudly. "They believe the Ancestors will return someday and reward them for keeping the Potentia safe."

"Fanatics," Sora muttered. She looked up, rolling her eyes at the cynical eyebrow the Major arched at her. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear. She chewed on her lip for a moment as she considered his words. "There is a chance…." She started pacing, glancing sideways as the Major followed right beside her, his gaze focused.

"What? What chance?"

She sighed. "The Genii have a complex spy network, with a tiered hierarchy, but it allows us to be sure all information makes it back to the home world in as accurate form as possible. We have informants all over the galaxy, but the network is broken into sectors. Each sector has several Spy Masters. All information is relayed to the Spy Masters, who pass it on to the Genii leadership. Several mid-level informants relay the same intelligence to several Spy Masters, ensuring that everyone has the same information, and that all information makes it to the Genii leadership." She paused, watching him nod thoughtfully as he digested her words.

"How do you ensure that no one holds back? Keeps information from the leadership?"

"We have spies within our own network, Major. It is rare for a Spy Master to defy the leadership, but if they do, they are dealt with appropriately."

Sheppard arched his brows. "Appropriate meaning…?"

"They are executed." Sora answered firmly.

"Ah." Sheppard nodded. "How does this fit into finding the Potentia?"

Sora rubbed her neck, fighting the tension that lingered there. "I know one of the Spy Masters for Dagan's sector. He was a long time friend of my father. He would know me on sight. There is a chance he could know where the Brotherhood took the Potentia."

"Wait a minute," Sheppard raised his hand, "if the Spy Master knows where the Brotherhood took the Potentia, then wouldn't Kolya and the Genii leadership know too?"

Sora nodded. "Yes. If he knows then he has surely passed such an important piece of information on to the leadership right away. If I can get him to tell us, you will need to act swiftly to beat the Genii to the Potentia."

"Who said I'm taking you along?"

Sora smiled and shook her head. "Major, if you walk up to him and start asking questions, do you really think he is going to answer you? It is likely he will try to kill you, but at the very least you will gain nothing from him. And if you ever go back he will have disappeared." She crossed her arms and stared plainly at him. "If you want any information at all, you will need me to get it." She stood, unmoving, as he turned away. She could see the indecision within him permeate his body language. He sighed once, then again, before running a hand through his hair and turning back to her, his expression dubious.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

Sora stared back at him, the humor fading from her expression. How did he know? Was there anything she could say that he could believe? She doubted it, but felt compelled to try anyway. Uncrossing her arms, she walked close to the cell bars. "It may not mean much, but I give you my word. I will help you."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?"

Sora looked away. She pursed her lips for a moment, keenly feeling the betrayal her training insisted she was committing. She felt his gaze on her, and looked at him, knowing that he saw what she was feeling. "If Atlantis falls to the Wraith and they gain all of this," she waved her hand around her, "it will be far worse for all of us." Sora exhaled heavily and swallowed against a lump in her throat. She dropped her head. _Could she have been so wrong for so long? _ "You are not the enemy," she whispered. Blinking hard she slowly looked back up at him. The anger was gone from his expression. He gave her a measured look, but it was full of understanding.

He licked his lips and nodded once. "You're on the mission. I'll talk to Elizabeth and have you brought in for the mission briefing."

She watched him as he turned and walked towards the door. "Major?" Her words stopped him and he turned to face her.

"Yeah?"

Sora managed a small smile, the first sincere one she had ever given him. "Thank you." Whether she was thanking him for his trust, or his respect, or the kindness and understanding he had shown her, she didn't know, and judging by his expression, he wasn't sure either. But, he seemed to take her words in the all-encompassing spirit in which they were meant.

He smiled back. "You're welcome." He held her gaze for a moment, and then left the brig.

* * *

John navigated his path to the control tower by instinct, his mind preoccupied with matters other than how to get from point A to point B. _What the hell am I doing?_ He shook his head. Sora was Genii. She'd taken part in a strike force that had seized his city from him, killed two of his men, and nearly got him killed. Then she'd maimed two more of his officers trying to escape. And now he trusted her? Was ready to take her on a mission? Place the safety of his team on the credibility of her intel and her intent?

His stride faltered slightly. And yet, it almost felt like she had extended an olive branch in his direction; like she'd come to some sort of realization, and needed him to believe it. A cynical half smile pulled at his mouth. In spite of every rational word telling him he was crazy to trust her, his instincts were unwavering. Something about her expression, her words… her bearing had caught his attention, and forced him to believe in her sincerity. He pursed his lips, giving a moment's attention to the cynic inside him. With the Wraith only two weeks away, was it really his instincts that made him believe her, or an innate desperation looking for some hope to save all of them? He shook his head, refusing to second-guess his gut reaction. Too many times in his life, his gut reaction had been right, and had even saved his life. But, a small voice whispered to him. _You've been wrong too, John…._ He turned away from it.

He trotted up the back stairs to the control room. Either she really was sincere, or she was a very good liar. His gaze narrowed as he spotted Elizabeth seated behind her desk in her office. _It better not be the latter…_

He stopped in the doorway and took a deep breath, before clearing his throat quietly. Elizabeth looked up at him, and John had to stop himself from shaking his head. She looked tired and, although she flashed him a small smile, he could see the tension and worry that lined her features.

"John," she smiled wearily. "Come in."

John walked into her office, determined to hang onto the relaxed bearing he usually radiated by habit. "Am I interrupting?"

She gently set her data-pad stylus on the desk and leaned back in her chair. "Yes, but believe me, you're forgiven." She half-heartedly waved at the chair opposite hers. "Have a seat."

John stopped behind the chair and leaned on its back. No matter what direction he approached this conversation from, he couldn't find an easy way to broach the topic. "I just talked to Sora." Intent on her reaction, he watched as Elizabeth glanced at the empty chair, before she once again met his gaze. Her expression turned thoughtful.

"Not a normal visit, I assume?"

John pushed away from the chair and walked a few steps across her office, the façade of his relaxed bearing gone. _What the hell do I say? Trust me Elizabeth, our Genii prisoner wants to help us? Damn it. _John rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably and sighed. He glanced in her direction as Elizabeth leaned forward and folded her hands on her desk.

"John?"

_Fine. The direct approach. _He turned and faced her. "I asked Sora what she knew about Dagan."

Elizabeth arched her brows. "Really? What did she have to say?"

John maintained a strong, direct gaze. "She told me everything she knew. And, when I say everything, I mean…," he cocked his head, "everything." He relaxed slightly as Elizabeth looked away and shook her head, breaking the intensity of the moment. She met his gaze again.

"How do you know you can trust anything she said?" she asked plainly.

A cynical grunt escaped John as he shook his head. "I don't. She gave me her word she'd help us, but I have no idea what that's worth. Every rational bone in my body tells me I'm crazy. I don't have a single, logical reason to trust her, but…," his voice trailed off as John found himself at a loss for words.

"You trust her anyway?" Elizabeth quietly supplied.

Slightly embarrassed, John's expression turned sheepish. "Yeah. I do. I think she's sincere." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Damn it." He pulled his hand from his hair and froze as a small smile played at Elizabeth's mouth. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing." She again pointed the chair. "Sit down and tell me what she told you."

John's brows furrowed as her request, hell her demeanor, caught him off guard. "Really?"

"Yes, really." The humor faded from Elizabeth's gaze and was replaced with acceptance. "You have good instincts, John. Now, talk to me."

Respect welled inside John, rushing past the underlying tension he'd carried ever since they'd detected the Wraith hive ships. It was an odd mix, that tension and this respect, and it left John with a renewed conviction to do anything and everything in his power to save Atlantis and the expedition team.

He smiled slightly and settled in the chair. "According to Sora, the Genii had been trying to infiltrate the Brotherhood for some time. Turns out they knew about the ZPM, but only that it was a powerful Ancient device called a Potentia." John found himself relaxing into the conversation as he outlined the structure of the Genii spy network to Elizabeth. "The point is," he emphasized, "it's possible the Genii may have found out where the Brotherhood took the Potentia when they left Dagan." He watched Elizabeth carefully as she leaned back in her chair and rocked slightly while she mulled over what he'd told her.

"So, even if you get a lead on the Potentia, there's a good chance you'll run into Genii operatives trying to retrieve it?"

John sighed. "Yeah. Want to know the kicker to all of this?"

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. "There's more?"

Grimacing, John rubbed his forehead. "According to Sora, the spy master will only talk to someone he recognizes. She claims he's an old friend of her father's and would know her on sight. But, if we go there on our own and start questioning him, we won't learn a thing."

"You're not suggesting…?"

"She has to go with us on the mission, Elizabeth," John interrupted, "it's the only way this will work."

"John," Elizabeth half spoke, half sighed, "you can't be serious."

"Yep." John shook his head, refusing to make eye contact with her. "Dead serious." He leaned forward and met her gaze at last. "Elizabeth, this is a spy. If a bunch of strangers walk in and start asking him questions, he's gonna run like a scalded cat. Hell, Sora thinks he could try to kill us in the process. If we're forced to kill him, or lose him, we gain nothing."

He abruptly stood and paced behind the chair he vacated. "Before you ask me if any of this is desperation, I'll answer you. You're damn right it is, at least partially. I wouldn't even consider doing this if the Wraith weren't knocking on our door and that ZPM could be the one thing that stands between the destruction of Atlantis and our survival." He paused in his pacing and stared at her.

Elizabeth rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply. She looked up at John, her gaze neutral. "What makes you think you can trust her?"

He shook his head in mild frustration. It was a question he'd been wrangling with himself ever since he'd talked to her. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "She gave me her word, told me we weren't the enemy…." He paced again. "Of course, I have no idea if she's sincere or not."

"But?"

Elizabeth's quiet prod stopped John in his tracks. He rested one hand on his side arm as he gave her a resigned look. "But," he shook his head, "I trust her anyway. I don't know why, but I think she's sincere." He watched as Elizabeth looked away, her gaze fixing on a framed picture that sat on the edge of her desk. _Simon_, he recalled.

She ran a hand over the frame and shook her head before meeting his gaze. "If it was anything but a ZPM…."

"I know," he agreed quietly.

She nodded once, worry again creasing her brow. "Set the mission briefing for 13:00 and have Sora brought up for it."

"Will do." John turned away only to be stopped by Elizabeth's voice.

"Major?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

A faint cynical smile touched her features. "It's up to you to inform Bates."

John grimaced. "Item one in the briefing." He sighed. "Bates isn't going to like this." His frown faded. He stared for a moment at her. "Thanks."

She stared hard at him. "I'll be convinced this is the right thing to do when you come back safely with a ZPM in your hands, Major."

He pursed his lips. "Right." He turned and quickly walked out of her office.

* * *

Sergeant Bates stalked down the hallway towards the brig. When the call had come from Major Sheppard to bring Sora up to the conference room, part of Bates thought it was some sort of joke.

_"Sir?" he asked incredulously._

_"You heard me, Sergeant." _

_He gritted his teeth against the hard edge to Sheppard's voice. "Yes, sir."_

More and more, Bates had seen a connection between Atlantis' military commander and their Genii prisoner. Where she treated Bates and the other officers with cool regard, Sora seemed almost agreeable to the Major. Bates was the first person to admit he wasn't exactly friendly back with her: why should he be? She was a dangerous prisoner! But he wasn't sure if it was his own coldness that accounted for the difference in the way she treated them, or the fact that the Major was the military commander, and Sora's training had ingrained her with respect for her commanders. Bates's thoughts touched briefly on Sumner. _Something the Major could learn…._ He sighed, annoyed. _And myself apparently. _

He stopped in front of the open door to the brig and nodded at the SOs. "Both of you come with me. The Major wants her in the conference room, and I want you two on my six when I go in to get her."

He walked through the door as both men followed him. He stopped just inside and stared at her for a moment. She appeared to be near the end of War and Peace; an assumption that proved true as she closed the back cover and laid the book on her bunk.

Bates gaze deepened at her contemplative expression. Until this day, every time he'd entered the brig room, she'd immediately noticed his presence. But today she was obviously distracted. He wondered what occupied her mind. The cynic in him hoped it wasn't her latest escape plan. He cleared his throat pointedly.

She looked up with a start and nodded slightly in recognition. "Sergeant."

He stared coldly back at her. "The Major has asked for you to be brought up to the conference room." He couldn't keep the touch of distrust from his voice, but that really didn't bother him in the least. He pulled out a binding strap and walked up to the cell entrance.

Her gaze flicked to the binding strap in his hands. She shook her head. "That will not be necessary, Sergeant, I will not make trouble for you."

Cynicism replaced Bates's distrust. "Sure you won't." He glanced back at one of the other soldiers, who walked up next to him and aimed a stunner rifle at the doorway, while the other one reached for the brig controls. Warily, Bates fixed his gaze back on Sora as the officer lowered the shield and opened the brig. Bates held out the binding strap and gave her a no-nonsense look. He never took his eyes from her as she sighed, held out her hands and walked slowly up to him.

His gaze briefly left hers as he wrapped the strap around her wrists and secured it tightly. In the back of his mind, Bates knew the strap was tighter than it needed to be, if not painful. He looked up at her and knew that fact wasn't lost on her. Wordlessly, he held onto her upper arm and escorted her from the brig.

* * *

Elizabeth watched silently as Sergeant Bates escorted Sora into the conference room. Her gaze touched briefly on the sergeant's neutral expression, before she gave Sora a long, measured look. The Genii woman seemed slightly and understandably nervous but, surprisingly, Elizabeth's gut instinct told her it wasn't the nervousness of captivity, but rather of someone seeking approval. Deep inside, she wondered if John had finally gotten through to Sora and she no longer felt threatened. Wariness returned. They had no rational reason to believe this wasn't a trick by Sora to escape; and that was a ploy Elizabeth knew Sora was capable of.

The two women's eyes met and Elizabeth's narrowed slightly as she saw the same measured look in Sora's eyes that were in hers. After a moment, Sora slowly inclined her head ever so slightly in recognition, and Elizabeth had to pull on her diplomatic skills to keep the surprise from her face at the first respectful gesture she'd ever received from their Genii prisoner. Still wary, she nodded back.

Bates pulled out a chair and pointed, his gesture echoed by John's voice.

"Sit down, Sora."

Elizabeth glanced at John. His tone was quiet and relaxed, as if this was a normal run-of-the-mill briefing. She watched Sora sit, Bates standing close behind, his hand pointedly resting on his side arm. Elizabeth looked around the room. The usual easy and relaxed mask dominated John's expression but didn't quite hide the slight signs of worry he apparently had. Rodney's cynical expression was more intense than usual; Ford had all the signs of someone who was completely unsure of the situation; and Teyla's expression was a cross between distrust and sympathy. Elizabeth looked back to Sora, who seemed more unsure than any of them. All around Elizabeth, the room seemed permeated with distrust. She sighed. _Not a good way to start a mission. _

"Sora," Elizabeth toned her voice reassuringly. "Major Sheppard tells me you've told him some interesting things about Dagan and the Potentia."

Sora nodded slightly. "Yes." Her voice was quiet, "I may be able to find out where it is, if we act quickly. But you must allow me to accompany your team if you wish this to work."

"You've got to be joking," Bates muttered.

Elizabeth pursed her lips, and watched as Sora turned her head slightly, looking at the Sergeant out of her peripheral vision.

"I am not," she replied, her voice still quiet. "You will not be able to obtain the necessary information without me. The spy master will not talk to you."

"You're asking us to trust you and take you off world? Give me one good reason we should." Bates's tone turned hostile.

"Sergeant…," Elizabeth started, but Sora interrupted her.

"Because I want to help you." Her voice took on a defensive tone.

"Like hell you do!" Bates shot back. He glanced at John. "Major this is crazy. We can't seriously be considering this."

Elizabeth noticed John's expression harden.

"We are. It's a ZPM, Sergeant. That's worth a hell of a lot of risk," John replied firmly.

Bates's anger seemed to intensify. "With all due respect, _sir_, this is reckless. Colonel Sumner would never…."

"He's not here," John interrupted, his tone cold.

"Sir…," Bates started, only to be interrupted by John once more.

"That's enough, Sergeant." His mid-toned voice held a strong ring of command to it.

Elizabeth watched Bates suck in a deep, frustrated breath and nod once, curtly, before falling silent.

Her gaze returned to Sora and, again, it was her diplomatic training that kept her expression neutral. From all outward appearances, Sora seemed genuinely concerned. Nowhere in the Genii woman's expression was a hint of smugness, conniving, or pleasure. She seemed distressed, and every instinct in Elizabeth made her think Sora's distress was because no one believed her. Elizabeth felt strife between her instincts and her rational mind. Either Sora was sincere, or she covered her true intent very well. _And the life or death of my team could balance on that distinction…_ .

Sora looked down at her bound hands her fingers drumming together nervously. "I know none of you has any reason to trust me." She looked up, her eyes passing over the faces of everyone in the room. "All I can do is tell you that I want to help you."

"Why?" Ford asked quietly.

Elizabeth glanced at the Lieutenant. His expression held a note of innocence, and it seemed he really wanted to trust her. _Probably following John's lead…._

Sora looked at Ford, her expression softening slightly. "Because you are not the enemy, and both our peoples want the same thing." She glanced pointedly at John. "Someone taught me that."

Elizabeth inhaled deeply as she also looked at John. A faint smile creased his mouth briefly and he quirked his brows, but he said nothing. Elizabeth looked back at Sora, her own thoughts conflicted. She found herself wanting to trust her, and keenly felt the conflict that John had shared earlier. She glanced at Ford, who nodded and remained silent. Apparently, Sora's answer was good enough for him.

"How do we know that you will not betray us?" Teyla asked quietly. "Surely you remember that you have tried to kill or capture almost all of us, at one time or another, including myself. I do not know if I believe you to be sincere, nor do I believe I can take my eyes from you for one moment unless you are confined."

Elizabeth remained silent, waiting for Sora's answer. Teyla's voice was calm and reasonable, but it held a note of distrust. Inwardly, Elizabeth felt approval. The addition of Teyla to John's team had been his call. He'd read her right, and trusted her, and Teyla had proven invaluable. In the present case, Elizabeth was determined to make up he own mind, but so much of this situation hinged on John's instincts about Sora. And his instincts **had** been right about Teyla. Elizabeth's mind continued to wrangle with the knot events had created, even as Sora found a response.

"I was very… close to my father." Sora's voice was quiet and her expression was pained. "When you came back, and he did not…." She shook her head. "I do not hold you responsible any more, Teyla. My father was a victim of war. As a Genii soldier, I know such realities exist, but as a daughter, I did not see it." Her gaze hardened. "Cowen did not help at all, but there is a lot that he has not handled well."

Elizabeth watched Teyla. The Athosian leader never was one to openly show what she was feeling, at least through her expressions, so Elizabeth deepened her look. What had started as a distrustful manner had turned contemplative. Elizabeth's assessment went unnoticed by Teyla, who had her gaze fixed on Sora.

Sora's gaze narrowed as she stared back at Teyla. "To understand all is to forgive all."

Teyla cocked her head slightly. "I do not…."

"It's from War and Peace," John quietly interrupted. "The book I gave her to read."

Teyla nodded once and stared at Sora for a moment longer, before looking down at her crossed hands. She sighed deeply, her thoughtful expression becoming evident to everyone.

"Well, I'm going to be the pessimist in the sea of optimism, even though it's so not me," Rodney piped up. "And far be it for me to agree with Sergeant Cynicism here," Rodney returned Bates's pointed, annoyed look with a glare of his own, "but that does nothing to prove to me that we can trust you." Rodney gazed dispassionately at Sora.

Elizabeth sighed. "Rodney has a point, Sora." She watched Sora's gaze turn distant as she stared at the far wall. She was quiet for a long moment before she met Elizabeth's eyes.

"There is nothing I can say, Dr. Weir, to make you believe me." Sora's gaze bore into hers and she swallowed hard. "The only thing I can tell you is that I give you my word, as a Genii warrior, that I want to help you. Either you take the risk and believe me, and we have a chance to find the Potentia… or you do not, and you gain nothing."

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair, her mind racing over the decision. She glanced first at Rodney, whose cynical expression had turned slightly thoughtful, and then at John, who met her gaze head on. His brows arched slightly as he voiced his opinion without saying a word. Her thoughts turned to the Major's instincts.

_Every rational bone in my body tells me I'm crazy. I don't have a single, logical reason to trust her, but…." His voice trailed off as John found himself at a loss for words._

"_You trust her anyway?" Elizabeth quietly supplied. _

_Slightly embarrassed, John's expression turned sheepish. "Yeah. I do. I think she's sincere."_

Since coming to Atlantis, Elizabeth had found herself in situations where she had to trust John's instincts and "read" on people. He'd been right enough of the time to make her want to trust him now. She knew with resounding confidence that John would never knowingly risk his team unless he felt it was worth the risk or felt he was right… but he had been wrong before. And although John's opinion carried weight with her, she felt compelled to follow her own instincts too. For a moment, Elizabeth felt torn. She broke gazes with John and shook her head slightly. Mentally stepping back, she forced herself to look at the whole picture, and found a sense of perspective, as the goal of this mission became clear. They weren't talking about a piece of obscure Ancient technology or semi-important intelligence. This was the chance at a ZPM: the one thing that could tip the balance against a Wraith attack less than two weeks away. In that context, the bar was raised. The stakes were higher, but so was the potential reward… and so were the consequences if they did nothing. Elizabeth looked back at John and nodded her head slightly.

John stood and walked up to Sora. Pulling his knife, he waved at her hands.

Sora's gaze narrowed for a moment before she slowly lifted her hands towards him.

Carefully sliding the knife under the stout plastic binding strap, John cut her bonds. "If we're going to do this, you're going to have to trust us…." His voice trailed off as he gave her an intense look. "And we're going to have to trust you." He sheathed his knife and looked at Sergeant Bates. "Have a seat, Bates."

Elizabeth nodded as Bates glanced at her, before looking back at John.

"Yes, sir." He seemed less than pleased, but agreed nonetheless.

Elizabeth smiled at Sora. "Tell us everything you know… we're listening." Her gaze followed Sora as she looked around the room for a minute.

Sora's expression turned determined, and she rubbed her wrists gently. "I do not know much. That is where Zenel comes into this."

"Zenel?" John questioned.

"He is the spymaster. His guise is an innkeeper in a village not far from the Ring," Sora supplied. She looked over at him. "Major, if we are to be successful, we must act quickly. The Genii spy network already has a day's lead on you."

Elizabeth swallowed against the apprehension in her gut. She hated rushing, especially into something like this, but if Sora was right, time was critical. She looked up from her folded hands and met John's stare. Looking away, Elizabeth glanced at each member of the Major's team. Ford seemed neutral; Teyla stared back at Elizabeth for a long moment before nodding hesitantly; and Rodney just shrugged. Sora's words derailed Elizabeth's thoughts.

"You'll need suitable clothes, Major." She sighed at John's narrowed eyes. "Ever since my fath… since the recon mission, the Genii have been well instructed on the clothing, mannerisms and armaments of your people, Major. You would be recognized on sight, especially by a spymaster."

John sighed and shook his head. "The clothes I can handle, but no P-90s?" He gritted his teeth and shook his head again, before fixing Sora with a look that was almost warning in nature. "I'm liking this less and less, Sora."

She shrugged. "You would be recognized, Major, I guarantee it." She leaned back in her chair and chewed in her lower lip in thought. "There is a weapons and supply cache not far from the village where Zenel operates. Providing they have not changed the password, I believe I can still get us in. We can obtain suitable weapons there."

Elizabeth arched her brows questioningly as John glanced at her before he looked back to Sora. "All right. But we're carrying 9 mils with extra clips. They'll be concealed, but I'm not going to set foot through that gate without being armed. Neither is my team."

Sora sighed. "Major, if those weapons were discovered…."

"It's not open for discussion, Sora," he interrupted firmly.

Sora nodded back, her expression turning understanding. "Very well."

"Teyla?" Elizabeth turned her attention to the Athosian. "Can we get suitable clothing from your people?"

Teyla nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

"Great," Rodney muttered. "As long as it's not some kind of wool…. Did I mention I'm allergic to wool?"

"I am sure we can find something for you, Dr. McKay." Teyla's tone was mildly patronizing.

"Beyond that," Sora continued, "it is just a matter of meeting up with Zenel, receiving the proper information from him, and following up on it."

"We'll at least find out where the ZPM is and if the Genii have discovered it yet," John added. "If it's too heavily guarded, or we're too outmatched, we'll come back here and get reinforcements. At least we'll know where to go."

Elizabeth rocked in her chair for a moment before nodding. "Sounds good. You depart as soon as you have your change of clothes. That's all." She remained in her seat as everyone, including Sora, with Bates close behind, exited the room. Elizabeth drummed her fingers on the conference room table. So many times since coming to Pegasus, she'd questioned decisions she'd been forced to make. Decisions that were so far beyond the scope of her experience she felt like a diplomatic intern. This decision, based on her gut and the gut of the people she trusted, but with no real basis in rational fact, was no different. It was several minutes before she got up and left.


	3. Chapter 3

"Rodney, is there a reason why you're fidgeting?" John tried to keep the smile from his face as he watched Rodney wriggle his shoulders. He looked back toward the gate-room stairs as Elizabeth descended them and approached his team.

"Oh, I don't know, could it be the _wool_ blend I'm wearing?" Rodney snapped back. "Did I _not_ tell you I was allergic to wool?"

"I am sorry, Dr. McKay," Teyla tried to reason, "but that is the softest blend our people have."

"The things I do for this city…," Rodney muttered.

John shifted his knee length duster forward on his shoulders, feeling his holstered nine-mil rub on the underside of his arm. He'd never liked shoulder holsters, always preferring to have his side arm handy at his thigh, but the key here was concealment. He had to admit, the rich brown tunic he wore was slightly itchy; he'd grown used to the nice cotton t-shirts common in Atlantis' standard issue. But as he shifted his weight, he had to admire the soft flexibility of the calf-high boots, despite their sturdy soles that protected his feet. The light brown trousers were nice too, not too heavy, even if they were a little more form fitting than he liked.

Ford and McKay were attired similarly, as were Teyla and Sora, save their shirts, which were midriff length. Everyone wore knee length dusters to conceal the shoulder holsters and nine-mils they carried. The exception was Sora, who was unarmed but wore a duster anyway. Inside pockets on the dusters held extra clips for their guns, radios and their GDOs. The clothing was vague enough to belong to any number of worlds in the galaxy.

Sora's gaze, directed at where his gun hung, concealed, grabbed John's attention. "I still think I should…," she started.

"Nope," John cut her off. "Not gonna happen. You're not getting a gun." He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm trusting you, Sora, but there are limits."

She sighed loudly before nodding. "In your place, I think I would have the same reaction." She frowned. "I still do not like it, Major."

John's other brow joined the first. "Get used to it." He looked away as Elizabeth approached the group.

"Major, all set?" Elizabeth looked around at the team, unable to completely hide the hesitation from her expression.

John nodded. "Yeah, ready as we'll ever be. We'll let you know when we know something." He watched Elizabeth's eyes travel from one of them to the next, her gaze lingering the longest on Sora. She looked back at him.

"Be careful, Major." She looked around again. "That goes for all of you."

He smiled. "Keep the porch light on." He looked back at the gate as the last chevron locked and the wormhole flushed into existence. Taking a deep breath, he led his team through.

* * *

John stopped just as he emerged from the wormhole, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the gathering darkness of twilight. He cautiously walked forward a few steps while the rest of his team emerged behind him and the gate deactivated. "Ford?" He questioned.

"All clear, sir," Ford immediately responded.

John glanced at Sora. "Which way?"

She looked around for a moment, before pointing to a narrow path just left of the gate. "This way."

"You're sure?" John asked.

"Because getting us lost would be so not good," Rodney hastily added. "Ow!" He fell silent as John poked him in the bicep.

Sora nodded. "It has been a while since I have been to this planet, but I am sure." She started off only to be stopped by John's hand on her arm.

John's patient smile was barely visible. "You're behind me. I'm on point." He looked back at Ford. "Lieutenant, you're on the six. Let's go." He started down the path, which washeavily overgrown. John counted it a miracle that he could find his way at all as every branch he pushed back seemed to be replaced by another as he made his way down the narrow, winding trail. "How long until our first stop?" He briefly looked back at Sora, before returning his attention forward.

"It is not far," Sora reassured him. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I know where we are going, Major. It is I who should lead."

John smiled and shook his head. "Nope. Anything we run into runs into me before my team."

"I am not a member of your team."

John smiled at the puzzlement he heard in her voice. "Here and now, you are." They walked on in silence, and John found his thoughts dwelling on the Genii that followed quietly behind him. Had he not been all business at that moment, he would've chuckled at the entire situation he found himself in. A few months ago, had anyone told him he'd be leading a team with a Genii on it, relying on her for intel, and even for the safety of his team, he would've soundly told them they were wacko. But here he was, traipsing through a dark forest doing exactly that. He sighed quietly, his moment of ironic humor fading. Deep down, he felt he'd read her right, but hell, he'd thought he'd read Elena of Dagan right, and yet now he was leading a risk-laden mission trying to recover the Potentia. John pursed his lips. _You better not be double-crossing me, Sora._

Teyla's quiet voice derailed John's thoughts. "Can you trust this Zenel, Sora?"

He heard Sora snort softly.

"He is a spymaster, Teyla. You never truly trust a spymaster."

"Somehow, that isn't reassuring," Rodney quipped.

"He was a lifelong friend of my father," Sora continued. "I trust him as much as possible."

"That's pretty vague." John cast another quick look over his shoulder, before returning his attention to the path.

"Yes, it is." Sora admitted without hesitation, before falling silent again.

It wasn't long until John felt Sora's hand on his shoulder. He stopped and looked back at her. "What?" he whispered.

"We are close." Sora stepped around him. "It would be best to let me go first."

John pursed his lips. "You're sure you know the password?" Even through the near darkness, John could see Sora's cynical smile.

"No, but I hope I do. It could get… serious if I am wrong."

John stared at her a moment. "I'm going with you in case things get… serious." He looked back at the other three. "Cover us. If this blows up, we'll need to beat a hasty retreat."

"Yes, sir." Ford nodded and drew his sidearm. "We've got your back."

"Great," Rodney muttered, but he grabbed his concealed gun anyway.

Teyla also drew her gun. "Be careful." She nodded at John and then Sora. "Both of you."

"Always," John replied. He followed as Sora continued down the path and into a clearing surrounding a small cottage on the edge of the village. Two men loitered just outside the cottage, both stiffening as Sora and John emerged from the treeline.

John's instincts sharpened as he noted the alert stature of both men. He followed close to Sora, his heart beating faster as adrenaline surged through him, but he held onto his relaxed demeanor. He glanced at Sora, nodding slightly in approval at the way she also appeared relaxed and confident.

"Who are you?" the first man demanded. He had a Genii-style handgun held close to his side.

John risked a glance at the other man, who sat on a log near the building, another handgun well within his reach.

Sora stopped and stood with both hands on her hips. "My identity is none of your concern. I am a member of Commander Kolya's strike team and that is all that you need to know."

Mildly surprised at her tone, John nonetheless played along. He hardened his gaze and glared at the second soldier before meeting the gaze of the first one.

The first guard cocked his head. "What's the password?"

"Tunnen grass." Sora replied immediately.

John stared hard at the first guard, looking for any sign that they'd been discovered.

Slowly, the guard relaxed and nodded. "You may pass, Genii loyalist."

Sora nodded once, curtly. "Your vigilance will be noted." She looked at John. "Bring the others."

"Others?" The guard stiffened again and John's gaze quickly returned to him, but Sora remained in a relaxed stance.

"Of course. You did not think I would bring in my people before I had assessed the situation? How did I know whether or not you were loyal?" Without waiting for a response, she again looked at John. "Signal them."

Internally resisting the order she gave him, John glared at her a moment, before arching a brow at her smug expression. "Right away." He turned and waved at the tree line.

Before long, Ford, Teyla and Rodney emerged.

Sora walked to the door. "We require guns and ammunition. Stand guard here and alert me if anyone else approaches."

John looked at Ford. "Stay here and keep a sharp eye out." He cast a suspicious glance at the two soldiers, before turning a mildly cynical look at Sora. "If that's okay with you?"

The smugness on Sora's expression deepened slightly. "Of course it is." She looked at Ford. "Stay here."

Ford's face was momentarily confused as he looked from Sora to John, who nodded slightly. Ford grimaced slightly and looked back at Sora. "Yes… ma'am."

John, Teyla and Rodney followed Sora inside the cottage. John stopped just inside and looked around. The small cottage put Atlantis' armory to shame. Weapons of all types lined the walls, and boxes, presumably full of ammunition for all the weapons, were stacked all around him. "Damn," he muttered. "Only two guards to watch this?"

Sora nodded as she grabbed a Genii side arm and handed it to Rodney. "Outwardly, yes. Trust me, had they fired even one shot, more would have descended on us before we were been able to react." She handed each of them a handgun, before quickly rummaging through several boxes. "One of these must have extra ammunition for the guns, we need to find it…ah!" She pulled out several thigh holsters and passed them out.

John secured an extra weapon and thigh holster for Ford, and slung it over his shoulder. Then he took a moment to wrap another gun belt around his waist and tie the small length of rawhide binding around his thigh. He holstered his Genii gun, and started looking through some of the other boxes. "I feel like a mercenary," he muttered, as he rifled through a box.

"You look like one," Sora commented as she rummaged through another box.

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not," John replied.

"I'm pretty sure it's not," Rodney piped in as he opened another box. "It's so ironic. Dr. Rodney McKay, one of the foremost experts on wormhole physics and, well, just about anything, reduced to common thug."

John rolled his eyes. "Just pray they don't call your bluff, McKay. Somehow I don't think nagging them to death is very intimidating."

"Hilarious." Rodney snapped.

"Sora?" Teyla's quiet voice ended the verbal sparring between John and Rodney. "I believe this is what we are looking for?" She held up a clip of ammunition looking surprisingly similar to a nine-mil clip.

Sora nodded. "That is it."

John's attention returned to Sora just in time to watch her holster a side arm and wrap the holster around her waist. She paused as she buckled it and met his stern gaze with a challenging one of her own. He glanced at the other two, who were watching the silent exchange, before looking back at Sora.

"Major, it would hardly fit our cover if I left here unarmed," Sora reasoned quietly.

John shook his head and sighed loudly. "All right. Fine." He stared hard at her. "Don't make me regret it."

Sora nodded once and finished securing the holster to her leg.

Teyla handed out extra clips to each of them, and handed two more for Ford to John, before closing the box. Sora headed for the door, and John followed right behind her, fighting the knot in his gut at her being armed. He didn't see that he had much choice: she had a point about their cover, and it wasn't like they could fight it out right then and there. In the back of his mind, he wondered if she'd planned this all along. _Damn it, I knew she gave up on the nine-mil argument too easily!_ He found himself wondering what else she had up her sleeve.

Outsite, he stared pointedly at Ford as he handed the lieutenant the extra sidearm and clips.

"All's good here," Ford answered. "We were just starting to get along." He flashed a tense, cold smile at each guard before wrapping the sidearm holster around his waist.

Sora nodded at both guards. "You have done well. I will be sure to inform my superiors. Carry on." Sora confidently headed for the village.

When they were out of earshot from the cache house, John grabbed Sora's arm, stopping her. He smiled smugly. "I'm on point, remember?" He let go of her arm and started across the clearing towards the not so distant village. "There?" He pointed at the faint lights.

"Yes." Sora followed closely behind him. "Zenel's inn is on the far side of the village square."

It didn't take them long to reach the village. As they crossed the square, Sora pointed at a building.

"That is it," she confirmed.

John approached the building and stopped. He glanced back at his team. "Stay sharp." Without another word, he opened the door and walked inside.

The main room was dimly lit, the majority of the light being supplied by a large fire pit in the center of the room and a fireplace on the far wall. A few people mingled around, sharing drink and food, but the place was far from what John would call busy.

Sora stepped around him, her gaze traveling over the room until it settled on a graying man standing just behind the bar. She glanced at John and nodded slightly. "That is him. It would be best if I went alone."

John shook his head. "Nope. No way."

"Major," Sora hissed, "You do not approach a spymaster in hordes. There are too many of us. He will be uncomfortable, regardless of who I am."

John sighed. "All right." He looked back. "Ford, Rodney, Teyla, you three find a table and wait."

"Great," Rodney muttered, "leave the scientist in the dark…."

"McKay." John's glare ended Rodney's protest. While the other three found a table, John followed Sora across the room.

Sora stopped at the bar and smiled at the man. "Zenel," she said quietly.

The man stared at her for a moment, before smiling back. "Sora, daughter of Tyrus. How long has it been?"

John stood quietly behind her. He glanced around the room, before looking back to Zenel.

Sora crossed her arms on the bar. "Too many years, Zenel."

Zenel's smile faded. "I heard tell of your father, Sora, I am sorry." His gaze hardened. "If Lanteans come through here, they will not escape. Your father will be avenged."

John stiffened, struggling to hold onto his neutral expression as his gut clenched in anger and alarm. He never expected the spymaster to be exactly nice about him or his people. In fact, Sora had made it plain he probably would want to kill his people on sight if he learned of their identity. But to hear it from his mouth and see the spite in his eyes tripped all kinds of alarms in John's head. He'd been a target before, this was nothing new, but it didn't mean he liked it. He looked back to Sora, but she seemed to be unsurprised.

She nodded once. "I have no doubt of that, Zenel. The Lanteans will be dealt with, as any other enemy of the Genii. Their continual threat and deception will not be ignored."

John's internal alarms rang louder as he watched her impassive expression.

Zenel leaned in close to Sora. "Your father would be proud. If any Lanteans come through here, they will not leave alive."

Sora smiled coldly. "That is good to know, Zenel. I wish you good hunting. Though, I think Cowen would disagree with your… disposing of them. At least immediately, before they could be interrogated."

Zenel shrugged. "Not even Cowen could disagree if we were forced to kill them in self defense. The Lanteans would fight." His expression turned dangerous, "We would not give them a choice."

John clenched his jaw, knowing a hard look had crept over his expression, but allowing it anyway. There was a dangerous edge to the man's bearing. A life-long soldier, John knew a killer when he saw one. He stared evenly back as Zenel's eyes met his.

"Zenel," Sora's words grabbed the spymaster's attention, "I need information."

Zenel glanced at each of John's team before once again looking at Sora. "About what?"

"The Potentia," Sora replied immediately.

Zenel nodded thoughtfully. "Kolya has moved quickly for you to be here so fast. I only sent word on to the home world yesterday."

"Has anyone gone after it?" John ventured, earning himself a glare from Zenel. The spymaster looked at Sora for a moment before coolly meeting John's gaze. "I have been informed that Cowen has already dispatched men."

"Zenel," Sora interjected quietly, "we need to know where it is."

Zenel stared at her for a moment before nodding slightly. "Join your companions at the table. I will bring you some food." Without another word, he turned away.

Sora glanced at John and nodded before she headed for the table occupied by the other team members.

John took a moment to sigh quietly and then followed her.

They had no sooner sat down than Zenel brought them a tray of what looked a lot like the Pegasus equivalent of sandwiches, and mugs of a robust drink that to John smelled a lot like ale.

"I wonder if…?" Rodney started.

"Probably not," John interrupted with a smug smile.

"What?" Rodney glared at John.

"Citrus," John immediately answered. "I doubt it has any citrus in it."

Rodney's grunt was annoyed as he grabbed his cup.

John looked at Sora as she carefully wrapped the right hand half of her sandwich in a cloth napkin and slid it into her coat pocket. She looked at him and nodded once, before taking a sip of her ale.

"Eat," she muttered. "Then we will leave."

Whether it was nerves, or no one was hungry, the entire team, including, surprisingly enough, Rodney, only nibbled at their food. Apparently convinced form had been served, Sora glanced at John and stood, waiting for him and the rest of the team to follow her lead. As he rose, she looked over her shoulder at Zenel and nodded once at him before she headed for the door. John also glanced at Zenel, feeling the hairs on his arms stand up at the man's icy gaze. Without a word, he led his team after Sora and out of the inn.

As they left the village and headed for the gate, John slowed and walked beside Sora. He eyed her suspiciously. "Pretty convincing argument for killing us on sight," he said quietly.

Her smile was calculated as she arched a brow at him. "It is part of the cover, Major. Or do you think he would have been so free with information if he doubted my resolve?"

John pursed his lips as he mulled over her words. His gaze hardened as he again looked at her. "I hope that's all it is." Sora looked away from him, but said nothing, an action that didn't really instill confidence in him. He sighed. "Right."

Silence fell over the group as the left the village.

Rodney finally spoke. "Okay, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we just leave without getting the information we came for?"

"You're wrong," John replied smugly. He looked at Sora. "It's in your pocket, isn't it?"

Sora smiled, stopped and pulled the half sandwich from her pocket. "Light?"

John glanced at Rodney. "Light?"

Rodney rummaged through his coat pockets. "Rodney, light. Rodney fix this. Rodney, explain that…"

"Rodney." John interrupted the doctor's quiet mini-tirade.

"What?" Rodney's tone was annoyed.

"Light." John smiled mischievously, his smile only deepening at Rodney's exasperated sigh.

"Fine!" Finding a small penlight, Rodney twisted the end, deftly providing a thin stream of bright light.

Sora carefully unwrapped the sandwich, lifted one end, and pulled a small piece of parchment from under the meat. She tossed the sandwich into a nearby bush. Gently unfolding the scrap of parchment, she held it under the light.

"It's a gate address," Ford commented.

"No kidding, Ford," Rodney shot back.

John raised his hand at Ford, who was on the verge of a response.

"Does anyone recognize it?" John's gaze traveled from Rodney to Teyla to Sora as each one shook their heads.

"Great." John muttered. "Okay, if Cowen already has people there, then we don't have time to go back to Atlantis. We need to gate there and at least assess the situation." John glanced at Ford. "Lieutenant, you're on point. Double-time it for the gate. I'm on the six. Let's go."

Without another word, the five of them ran off through the woods.

Approaching the gate, John stopped and looked around, his gaze trying to pierce the darkness. He glanced at Rodney. "Anyone home? And," he raised his hand, stopping Rodney from pulling the LSD from his coat, "be discreet about it. That thing is a dead giveaway."

Rodney reached inside his duster and fiddled with the LSD, its muted beeps still escaping from under his coat. He craned his head to peer under the coat's lapel and grunted. "Not that I can tell. Doesn't mean they're not out of range and still around…."

"Damn," John muttered. He turned towards Sora. "Is there a chance anyone is monitoring the gate?"

He sensed Sora's thoughtfulness in the silence that preceded her response.

"It is possible, especially if Cowen has already dispatched men to retrieve the Potentia… and if we were observed speaking with Zenel or approaching the cache house without us knowing it."

John looked around, frustration welling in him. "Just because the LSD can't pick them up in range, doesn't mean they're not there, right?"

Sora sighed. "That is correct. We could be being observed through a distance viewer, or even have radio signals intercepted." She straightened slightly in pride. "The Genii do have the technology."

John shook his head. "We can't risk someone picking up the radio signals or even seeing us dial Atlantis. That damn DHD lights up like a Christmas tree. Pretty easy to see the address through binoculars. We blow our cover, and this whole thing is screwed." He nodded once at Rodney. "McKay, dial the planet. Elizabeth is just going to have to wait."

John watched the gate hum to life as Rodney entered Zenel's address. He shook his head. He didn't like going to another planet without letting Atlantis know where they were, but he didn't see how they had any choice. He glanced at Sora, who looked back at him, her expression neutral. _You better be on the level here._ His attention returned to the gate as the wormhole flushed into existence. Without a word, he led his team through.

* * *

Once again, John emerged from the wormhole first. Where it had been the pitch dark of night on the planet they'd just left, the full daylight sun greeted him. He walked a short distance from the gate and waited for the rest of his team.

Squinting as his eyes adjusted, he looked around. Open grassland met his gaze, with rocky hills and cliffs beyond. Where the first planet had been densely forested, not a single tree graced the vista here. The soldier in him felt uncomfortably exposed. He made a final sweep of the open horizon, senses sharpening, before he glanced at his team. "Spread out. Hopefully there's some clue on where to go around here… somewhere…." He let his voice trail off as his team fanned out, searching the area around the gate.

It didn't take long before Teyla's voice grabbed his attention. "Major? I have found something."

John walked over to Teyla's position, and the rest of his team joined them. He looked down, his gaze fixing on a small stone tablet hidden in a natural cluster of rocks not far from the gate. Ancient runes covered the top half of the stone, while the distinct symbol of the Brotherhood dominating the lower half of the tablet. Unlike the relics on Dagan, the tablet wasn't worn with the passing of millennia. Each symbol and letter was crisply carved, and it was abundantly clear the tablet had been made only recently. Its coloring was almost identical to the rock formations around it, which provided impressive camouflage. It was a wonder Teyla had spotted it in the first place. He smiled at her. "Nice catch, Teyla."

She nodded slightly back at him.

John glanced at Rodney. "That's obviously the sign of the Brotherhood, so we're on the right path. Have you any idea what the Ancient writing says?"

"Huh," Rodney grunted before he translated the writing. "It says 'Blessed be the Ancestors. Their splendor is remembered through the crumbling pillars of time. What once was great now lies asunder, but the might of the Ancestors hides within.'"

"What does that mean?" Ford asked, his confusion echoed by the others expressions.

"The might of the Ancestors could be the Potentia," Sora ventured thoughtfully.

"Asunder," John mused quietly. "Broken, tore apart, ruined…". His gaze widened as the pieces suddenly came together in his head. Rodney, it appeared drew the same conclusion, as his voice joined John's.

"Ruins!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Of course!" Rodney went on excitedly, "it makes perfect sense! Their splendor is remembered through the crumbling pillars of time! What was once great now lies asunder! That has to be the ruins of a city, or building, or something Ancient!"

"And 'the might of the Ancestors hides within' means the ZPM is hidden there," John supplied.

"Yes!" Rodney's expression deflated slightly. "Of course, we could be entirely wrong."

John arched a brow, "Try to stay positive, Rodney. You have to admit, it'd be one hell of a coincidence if we're not right."

"Well… true." Rodney shrugged slightly.

"So, where are the ruins?" Ford interjected, his simple question silencing all of them.

John sighed. "Good question, Lieutenant." He glanced around. "Okay, we have one clue, there have to be more. Keep looking."

Again, his team spread out around the gate, but this time it was Ford who made the next discovery.

"Sir," he waved at John, "over here."

John crossed the large space in front of the gate and looked over Ford's shoulder. Fresh boot treads marked the soft dirt and led off into the grass. John glanced at Sora. "Look familiar?"

She stared at the tread for a long moment before shaking her head. "I'm not sure. Tracking was never something I was good at." Her expression turned slightly embarrassed.

"Great." John sighed before nodding once. "Okay. It's worth a shot. Let's go." Taking point, he started through the grass, periodically glancing down, his eyes finding scattered boot tracks along the way.

"Excuse me," Rodney's voice was typically annoyed, "but did you stop to consider this could be completely unrelated?"

John smiled slightly before looking back. "Look, Cowen's people are looking for the same thing we are. These could be their tracks, in which case we need to know what they're up to. They could lead to the ruins. Or they could lead to other people, and we can ask them if there are any ruins in the area."

"In other words, a wild-goose chase." Rodney glared at John, who arched a brow.

"I prefer to call it a lead." John smiled briefly and returned his attention forward.

"The land certainly is… flat," Teyla commented softly after a while as she followed behind Rodney.

"Not a lot of cover to work with," Ford muttered.

John looked back at his team. "Not an easy ambush either," he pointed out. His gaze momentarily found the Stargate as it disappeared on the distant horizon.

"Major."

John looked forward again, spurred on by Sora's voice. He nodded quietly to himself, before flashing a smug smile at Rodney. "Wild goose chase?"

Rodney's expression soured. "Lucky shot."

Just becoming visible on the horizon was a huddle of ruins littering the wide-open valley. They were overgrown and disintegrating, and not much was left of the stone pillars, but it was clear that at one time, long ago, the scattered pieces of rubble had formed an impressive structure.

John walked forward a few more steps and looked around. "I've lost the tracks. Anyone see anything?" He grimaced as each of them looked around before shaking their heads. A faint alarm went off inside him. He sighed. "Don't really like disappearing tracks…." He stared at the distant ruins for a moment, before starting towards them.

As they drew closer, he stopped, his eyes moving from one piece of rubble to another. He momentarily looked back at Rodney. "McKay?"

Rodney pulled his LSD from his coat pocket and tapped a few keys. He shook his head. "Nothing. No life signs in range of us."

"And range would be…?" John questioned pointedly.

Rodney shrugged. "About a hundred yards."

John nodded silently. His hand settled on the Genii sidearm strapped to his thigh, its wide grip feeling strange against his palm. He started forward again. "Any sign of the ZPM?"

"Not sure…." Rodney's voice trailed off and John looked back at him, his gaze narrowing.

"It's a ZPM, what do you mean you're not sure?" he questioned.

Rodney glared at him. "I mean I'm not sure! I'm getting some strange readings, almost like interference. I can't pinpoint it."

John's gaze intensified. "Natural or artificial interference?"

Rodney shook his head. "I don't know. I'm still not reading any life signs though."

John stared for a moment at Sora, suspicion rising in him. She met his measured look with an innocent one and shrugged in response. Unconvinced, he still nodded slightly. "Okay. Sora, you're with me. Everyone look around, but stay sharp." He walked further into the ruins with Sora as his team moved away, each covering a small sector.

"Major?" Sora offered as she looked over a nearby crumbled pillar. "I am not deceiving you."

He had been bent over another stone, but her words grabbed his attention. He straightened and gave her a very direct look. He kicked a small stone. "I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind." He rubbed his hands together briskly, brushing the dirt from his palms. "I hope you're telling me the truth."

She nodded, her expression neutral as she accepted his frank statement. "I am, Major."

"Ah ha!"

Rodney's exclamation ended their conversation. John walked briskly across the span of the ruins to where Rodney was bent over a large stone, his gaze focused on his LSD. From opposite directions Ford and Teyla joined them. John peeked over Rodney's shoulder at the runes on the surface of a large stone block. Although it was inverted, an all too familiar symbol was etched on it. Again, the edges of the symbol were crisp and new.

"The Brotherhood." Teyla stated frankly.

John smiled slightly as he glanced at Rodney. "McKay?"

Rodney nodded emphatically as he passed the LSD over the surface of the stone. "I'm getting energy readings."

"The ZPM?" Ford interjected, his voice filled with hope.

"Not sure." Rodney tapped another key on the LSD. "These readings are vague to say the least." Rodney tapped the screen of the Ancient devices a couple times. "I think I need to run a diagnostic on this thing…."

John craned his head and looked all over the stone. "It's just a rock, if there is a ZPM here I don't see how…" His voice trailed off as he stared at the symbol. He cocked his head slightly. "Is it just me, or is that symbol upside down?"

Rodney sighed in exasperation. "From this side of the stone, yes! That doesn't mean anything."

John pursed his lips. "Doesn't it?" While resting flat on the ground, the stone was backed up almost against a fallen pillar and only accessible from the angle that they had approached from. "You'd think," John mused out loud, "that if someone was going to go to all the trouble of carving the stone, they'd make the symbol was right side up from the only direction anyone would be approaching it…"

"Unless they didn't want it to be recognizable to the casual observer," Rodney added as he tapped a few buttons on his LSD.

"True," John muttered, his voice distracted. "But if you were to lift the stone ninety degrees…."

"The symbol would be right side up, even if you'd have to be on the other side of the stone to see it." Ford finished John's thought.

John smiled. "Yep." He arched a brow at Rodney. "Have to be able to find the thing without a LSD." He shook his head. "Could it be that simple?"

Sora walked up and pushed on the stone gently. "Sometimes the best way to hide something is the simplest way."

"Exactly." John pointed briefly at her.

"You're saying the ZPM is **under** the stone?" Rodney's expression was unconvinced.

"Yep." John pushed experimentally on the piece of rubble. "Give me a hand here."

Sora, Teyla and Ford all joined him, but Rodney held back. "Physical labor so isn't my thing…." He crossed his arms.

"McKay, get your lazy butt over here and help us." John glared in annoyance at the scientist, and kept his gaze on him until Rodney shoved his LSD in his coat and joined them. John tensed. "On three. One, two, three!"

As one they all heaved the stone ninety degrees and up on the back edge.

John's smile deepened as his eyes found another Brotherhood symbol showing clearly through the damp dirt that clung to the underside of the stone. This one was right side up. "Bingo," he muttered.

As one, they pushed the stone further back, leaning it against the pillar behind it, and out of their way. John knelt and dug through a thin layer of dirt until his hands met something smooth. "I've got something."

The others crouched next to him as they all cleared away the dirt from what looked like the lid to a large metal box. Finding the edge, and a clasp the secured it shut, John carefully opened the top. What met his eyes wasn't what he was expecting to see.

"What the hell is that?" Rodney looked over John's shoulder.

Instead of a graceful, golden ZPM, the box was empty, save for a small inscription on the bottom. John squinted, the writing unfamiliar to him.

"It is a Genii Storntu," Sora whispered. "A traitor's warning." Her eyes widened as she met John's gazes. "Major…."

John shot to his feet. "Damn it! We've been had!" He looked around warily. "Back to the gate, now!"

"I knew it!" Rodney glared at Sora, "I knew we couldn't trust her!"

Sora's eyes were large and round with shock. "I did not do this! I do not know what is going on!"

"Now's not the time!" John forcefully interrupted the argument. He stared coldly at Sora, grabbed her upper arm with one hand, and relieved her of her sidearm with the other. "You're with me." He looked away from her, his gaze quickly passing over his team. "To the gate! Move it!" He managed two steps before a puff of dirt right in front of his feet stopped him cold. It took a moment for him to link the small puff of dirt with the snap of a gunshot that echoed around them. Another puff of dirt almost immediately followed the first. Again, gunfire echoed around them.

"They're shooting at us!" Rodney's voice cracked.

"Cover!" Even as John shouted the order, his team was already scattering, racing for shelter. John dragged Sora with him. He dodged behind a large piece of rubble and pushed her down. "Stay put."

"Major," Sora started, her voice determined. "I did not do…"

His gaze turned cold. "Not now." He pointed at her. "Just stay quiet and stay there." Squatting next to her, he peeked around the stone, before lifting his head slowly over the top. He was rewarded with a resounding crack as the sniper landed a bullet in the dirt barely a foot away from him.

He ducked back down. "Crap! He's good." He jumped slightly as the radio in his jacket pocket crackled at him.

"We got company…." Rodney's voice was rushed and tense.

John pulled his radio out. "What the hell are you doing on the radio? The signal's probably being intercepted!"

"Oh I don't know!" Rodney's voice took on an annoyed air, "I thought maybe you'd want to know about the **person** coming our direction?"

John opened his mouth to reply, but was silenced by a distant, unfamiliar voice.

"You are surrounded! Come out now and you will not be harmed!"

John hesitated. "I don't think so," he muttered. He glanced at Sora, who shook her head.

"Major, they **will** kill you if you don't do what they say."

He grimaced. "They'll probably kill us anyway, and you know it."

"True," Sora nodded, "but they will not kill us immediately. They will want information. If we comply, we stay alive and have a chance to escape."

Distrust shouted at John and worked its way into his expression. He hesitated, his gaze narrowing at her.

Sora's attitude turned angry. "Fine. Do not believe me. But they will kill you, your team and me, where we stand, if you do not listen."

John flinched as a warning shot ricocheted off a piece of ruined column uncomfortably close to him.

"That was a warning! Next time one of you dies!" The voice sounded sincere in its coldness.

John pursed his lips and shook his head before slowly standing. He dropped the gun in his hand, and the one in his thigh holster in the dirt at his feet and stood with his hands in the air. From different directions, each of his team emerged from cover and followed his lead.

Standing not fifty feet away, a Genii soldier stared impassively at John over the barrel of a handgun pointed directly at John's head. The soldier pulled a radio off his belt and lifted it to his mouth. "Jamon, Trex, Almer, come down. We have them. Brahan, head for the gate and contact Hydus. Update him on the situation."

John's attention was focused on the gun aimed at him, and the soldier that wielded it, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Sora stiffen in recognition of the last name the soldier mentioned. He glanced at her, cold dread passing through him, as her expression looked anything but calm. She covered it quickly, before any of their captors saw it, but that brief glimmer spoke volumes to John.

John briefly assessed the position of his team members. Sora stood just to his right, with McKay not far away on the other side of her. He looked left to Teyla then Ford, both of whom were at least twenty feet away, but standing near to each other.

John kept his hands up, but close to his body, hiding the concealed 9 mil that still rested under his arm. His team did the same. Carefully, discreetly, an escape plan whispered to him. It was a wide-open, long run to the gate; a run that would prove suicidal with no cover. John glanced around. Not far from them, the rocky hills that led up from the valley would provide them with ample cover until night when they could make a move on the gate. All they needed to do was get away….

John returned his attention to the Genii soldier as three more emerged from the rocks and headed towards the group. As they approached, they fanned out, surrounding John's team. One stood behind him, while another, on the far side of Sora, stood right behind Rodney. The third one stood behind and between Ford and Teyla.

John glanced at Teyla, catching her eye. Intensifying his gaze he stared hard at her. _Please get what I'm thinking…_

After a moment, Teyla's eyes widened a little. Her expression turned cunning. Her nod was barely recognizable as she looked away from him. Glancing casually around, Teyla eventually met gazes with Ford.

The first soldier walked up to John, his gun never wavering. "I am sure there are many interesting things you can tell me."

John quirked a brow. "Football stats? Everyone says Namath was the greatest quarterback of all time. Me? I prefer Marino, Montana, Young…."

The soldier smiled coldly. "You will not be so flippant when Hydus is done with you, spy."

John's surprise was genuine. "Spy? I'm no spy."

The soldier chuckled. "All spies say that."

John pushed away his confusion. "Yeah?" He lowered his hands slightly, and discreetly shifted his weight on the balls of his feet. "Well, I mean it." Suddenly, he lunged, catching the soldier off guard as he grabbed his gun arm. Before the soldier could react, John twisted his body and elbowed the man in the face, grabbing his hand and forcing him to fire three shots into the guard that had been behind John.

Simultaneously, John's team sprang into action. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Sora dashing behind McKay and soundly knocking his guard cold with a roundhouse kick.

John wretched the gun from his opponent's hand and felled him with a vicious right cross. He jumped over the unconscious man and looked up, just in time to see Teyla and Ford handily dispose of their guard. "Weapons." John curtly pointed around at the unconscious men. He turned towards Sora in time to see her relieve Rodney's guard of his side arm. Tensely, John watched as she straightened and made eye contact with him.

She stood motionless for a moment before grabbing onto the barrel of the gun and extending it to him.

John cautiously took the gun from her and nodded once, before tucking it into his belt. He looked back at Sora just in time to see her eyes widen in shock.

"Watch out!"

John spun, his eyes instantly fixing on a figure that emerged from the trees, gun drawn. He pulled his holstered gun, just as the emerging soldier fired his. From the corner of his eye, he saw McKay drop like a stone, before he and Ford simultaneously fired, leveling the soldier.

His heart pounding, John motioned his head at their attacker and glanced at Ford. "Check him."

Ford nodded once and cautiously approached the downed soldier.

Teyla was already kneeling over Rodney as John ran up. He let out a small sigh of relief as he saw Rodney's conscious face staring back at him. "McKay? You all right?" John's voice was filled with worry as he looked the doctor over.

"I've been shot! Do I look all right?" Rodney spat back. He winced in pain as Teyla pressed a pressure bandage into a wound on Rodney's thigh.

John knelt next to Teyla and nodded at her. "Lift it."

Teyla peeled back the bandage and John got a good look at the wound. He smiled in relief. "Relax, Rodney, you're only grazed. Hurts like hell, but I think you'll live."

"Unless my leg falls off from a secondary infection! You know I'm really prone to…."

"Rodney." John cut off Rodney's spooked rambling and gave him the most reassuring look he could muster. "You'll be fine." With Teyla's help, he quickly bandaged Rodney's leg and got him on his feet. John glanced at Ford as the lieutenant trotted back to them. "Ford?"

Ford nodded once. "Dead."

John looked around. "These guys aren't going to be out much longer, and I'd rather not be around when they wake up." He met gazes with Rodney. "Can you walk?"

Rodney grimaced. "Do I have a choice?"

A small, cynical smile crossed John's face. "Not really." He motioned at Ford. "Give McKay a hand."

Ford took one of Rodney's arms over his shoulders.

"Easy… easy!" Rodney spat at the lieutenant.

"Relax, McKay," Ford said placatingly. "Just lean on me, but I'm not going to carry you."

"Right. Fine. Whatever," Rodney muttered.

John drew in a deep breath. "We'll hide in the rocks and work our way back towards the gate. If we're careful, the rocks should provide us with enough cover so we're not detected. We'll wait for dark, then make our move on the gate." He looked back at the team. "I'm on point, Teyla take the six." His hardened gaze settled on Sora. "You're right behind me." Genii sidearm held firmly in his hand, he started off towards the rocky hills, his team right with him, leaving three unconscious and two dead Genii soldiers behind.

* * *

Zenel watched the last of his patrons leave the inn. Closing the door behind the final customer, his thoughts, as they had many times that day, turned to Sora. _Go bravely, daughter of Tyrus._

Passing the entry to his darkened storage room on his way to finishing clearing up, he felt someone close by. He stopped and looked around. A spy all his adult life, he listened well to his instincts, and right now they were screaming at him. He cautiously peeked inside the dark room, only to run face first into a roundhouse punch. He staggered, blood seeping from his nose, and before he could recover, he found himself in the grips of two strong men, who pushed him to his knees.

"Zenel… what will we do with you?"

Zenel's gaze fixed on the darkened storeroom, his heart turning cold as he recognized the voice. "Hydus," he whispered, naming the head of Genii Intelligence.

A tall, strong man stepped from the shadows and into the light of the room. His calculating expression was cold as he stared impassively at Zenel. "You have been betraying us for some time, Zenel." Hydus stopped in front of the spymaster.

"No," Zenel shook his head. Even for a man like him, who had killed many times, the sight of Hydus and his personal team sent a cold chill through him. "I am loyal to the Genii." He barely completed his sentence before Hydus backhanded him brutally.

"Do not lie to me! We have known for some time, Zenel. We did not move on you until we could flush out a lead on who you were working for. They will, of course, be dealt with appropriately, starting with the agents that left here earlier."

Zenel's mind raced. "The address was a plant…."

Hydus' smile was more chilling than his frown. "Of course. We have operatives waiting for them. They will not escape."

Zenel broke into a cold sweat as Hydus slowly pulled a large, sharp knife from his belt sheath. "No…." He pulled against his captors as Hydus pointed the knife at him and walked close.

"I am sure there is much you can tell me, Zenel, with the proper motivation." Hydus brought the knife close to Zenel.

Light flickered through the windows from the inn's fire pit for most of the night. Somewhere near dawn, a single gunshot rang out. On its heels, the light of the fire was replaced with darkness.

* * *

Elizabeth emerged from her office, her brow creased in concern. It had been six hours since Johnand his team had left, and while Elizabeth knew they weren't exactly in the position to check in regularly, the delay troubled her. She stopped just outside her office and stared at the inactive Stargate. There were so many unknowns. Could they trust Sora? The spymaster? Any intelligence? Were her people walking straight into a trap? She shook her head slightly. If anyone could smell out a trap, her money was on John Sheppard. But still….

She walked into the control room. She nodded at Grodin.

He nodded back. "Dr. Weir. No word from Major Sheppard's team yet."

Elizabeth's smile was grim. "Thank you, Peter." She looked back at the gate. She had a bad feeling about this. There was no rational reason for her to think something was wrong, other than anything she already knew when she let them go in the first place. But in her gut, she couldn't deny the unease she felt. She arched an eyebrow and looked right as Sergeant Bates crossed the control room and stood next to her.

"Sergeant," she acknowledged softly.

"Ma'am," he replied. He looked at her for a long moment before he too stared at the gate.

"I don't like this, Sergeant," she admitted.

He grunted. "I never liked this from the beginning."

Mildly irritated, she nodded slightly.

"But…," he sighed.

She looked at him as he let the silence linger a moment.

He smiled slightly. "Given the circumstances, I understand why you did it." Something akin to a look of understanding crossed his face.

Elizabeth leaned on the railing and dropped her head for a moment, before looking out over the gate room. "Your file says you have considerable experience in covert ops."

He nodded once. "Yes, ma'am. I spent two years on off-world teams in the SGC as well."

Her gaze lost focus as she considered her options. How did she know sending more people to that planet would help? Would she just be throwing them into harm's way as well? She shook her head slightly. There were so many unknowns, and she chafed at the thought of making such weighty decisions without more facts.

"I can have a team outfitted in native clothing and ready to go in 30 minutes." Bates ventured, his voice low but determined.

In spite of the situation, Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

He returned the small smile. "Yes, ma'am." His smile faded. "The Major should've checked in by now."

Elizabeth pursed her lips and nodded once to herself, determination taking over. Not long ago, she'd listened to her gut and sent a team after John and Rodney even when she didn't know for sure they were in trouble. There had been no way she could've known they were fighting a living, breathing Wraith on that planet, yet her gut had told her something was wrong, and it proved to be true. Had the situation not been serious, she would've laughed at the irony. Going by her gut without knowing all the facts… isn't that what she sometimes criticized John for?

She looked at Bates. "Get your team together and be ready to go. If we don't hear from the Major's team in the next hour, I want you to go after them."

He nodded once, approval flickering in his brown eyes. "Yes, ma'am." He turned smartly and quickly crossed the command deck to the back stairs.

Elizabeth returned her attention to the gate room. Was she doing the right thing? Her mind agonized over the decision, but nowhere could she find an answer. Bates seemed to agree, but he was a soldier and, differences aside, the Major was his commanding officer. It was natural for him to want to go after John, regardless of whether it was dangerous or not. Making these kinds of choices wasn't something she was familiar with. Sure, she'd had to make split-second decisions before, but those were in diplomatic proceedings where she'd had weeks and sometimes months to prepare. That was a long walk from something like this; something where the details were sketchy at best, completely absent at worst, and yet she was forced to make a judgment call.

Elizabeth pushed away from the railing and slowly walked back to her office. She just hoped her judgment was correct.

* * *

John stepped down off the steep boulder he was standing on and into a large crevice surrounded by rock formations. As his team joined him, he peeked over the edge at the distant valley they'd just left. He could just make out the Genii they'd escaped from milling about, checking the dead soldiers, and apparently talking amongst themselves. He looked back at his team, his gaze fixing first on Rodney. "How you holding up, McKay?"

"Besides being shot?" Rodney snapped back.

John hardened his gaze slightly. "Rodney."

Some of the annoyance faded from Rodney's expression. "Okay. I'm okay."

John nodded slightly as his gaze settled on Sora. His eyes narrowed slightly and he sighed quietly. He wanted to believe her, wanted to think that she was really trying to help them, and not doublecrossing them. But the trap had been perfect; and he'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Then again, she had warned him and probably saved him, or another member of his team, from being seriously wounded or killed.

Sensing his stare, Sora met his gaze. "I did not know about any of this, Major, I promise you," she said quietly.

"Well, forgive us for not believing you!" Rodney spat.

John shook his head slightly and looked back at the group of Genii in the distant valley. "I'd like to believe you, Sora, I really would. But, I'm not sure I can." He glanced at her as she nodded thoughtfully but said nothing more.

He returned his gaze to the valley, watching as the group of Genii started moving towards them. He pushed away from the rock. "That's it, they're on the move. Come on." He led his team through the hills, in a rough direction towards the gate.

"Major, if we stick to the rocks in these hills and do not go back to the soft grasslands, the Genii will not be able to track us." Teyla's voice was confident.

"I know," John agreed, "but they'll know we're headed for the gate anyway. Where else would we go? We're going to have to stay ahead of them, at least until dark, then make a break for the gate."

"Well, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but I'm not 'breaking' for anything anytime soon," Rodney observed as he limped along, supported by Ford.

"I know, McKay." John answered quietly. "We'll manage."

"I'm just saying…," Rodney started only to be cut off by John.

"Well, we could always leave you behind." John's small smile was cynical. He didn't need to look back to know Rodney was giving him an acerbic glare.

"Yeah, you could nag them to death," Ford quipped. "Give us plenty of time to escape in the distraction."

John's smile turned to a grin as he heard Rodney's loud, annoyed sigh.

"Fine! Pick on the hurt man!"

John's amusement faded as the rocky path turned into a steep decline. "Heads up, rough spot." Returning to business, John picked his way down the rocks, his team right behind him.

They continued following the foothills, gradually working their way back towards the gate, while long shadows from the afternoon sun followed them.

* * *

Elizabeth stood to the left of the active Stargate as Bates and his team came down the gate room stairs. Dressed in native garb, each carried a concealed 9-mil sidearm, and plenty of extra clips, but no P-90s. Sora's warning echoed in Elizabeth's head.

_You would be recognized on sight, especially by a spymaster._

Elizabeth sighed. How did she know that this wasn't all part of the plan? No P-90s? Even as a civilian, Elizabeth knew going into a potentially dangerous situation without automatic weapons put her people at a serious disadvantage. Bates hadn't been keen on the idea either, but he had understood the reasoning. She smiled grimly at him as he approached her. "Given the circumstances, I want you to check in every three hours, Sergeant."

He nodded once. "Yes, ma'am." His expression sobered, but he said nothing more.

Elizabeth didn't need further words from the sergeant. His face spoke volumes. If she lost contact with him, he didn't want her to send anyone else. Atlantis's scant military infrastructure couldn't handle losing any more personnel. Not that he'd mention it out loud. Elizabeth had been around military types long enough to know any talk of not coming back was just not the done thing. She managed to add some warmth to her smile. "Be safe, Sergeant."

He nodded back, his own expression warming slightly. "Yes, ma'am." He turned to his team. "Move out."

Elizabeth watched, worry shrouding her, as his team disappeared through the wormhole.

* * *

Again, as he'd done several times before, John stopped just below a high spot, crawled up on the highest rock and peeked over the top, scanning the horizon for any sign of pursuit. "I'd give good money to know where and how close they are," he grumbled.

"Yes, sir," Ford agreed as he looked up at John.

Sitting next to Ford, Rodney poked at his LSD. "Well, this thing is useless. I think it's safe to say the interference is natural. It's something in the rocks. To use a metaphor, it's like they're one big mirror reflecting the LSD's signals back at us. I'm getting shadows and sensor echoes all over the place." Rodney dropped his head in exasperation before shoving the LSD back into his coat pocket.

"Great," John muttered.

"Major," Teyla silently crawled up next to him. "Perhaps I could backtrack and try to ascertain how far behind us the Genii are?"

John was dubious as he glanced at her. "And not get caught?"

Teyla smiled tolerantly. "Major, I have been a hunter all of my life." She looked around. "This terrain is… difficult, but not impossible." She fixed him with a determined, confident look. "They will not see me."

He stared at her a moment before shaking his head and scanning the horizon again. "If it comes to that, I'll consider it. Right now, I don't want to split the team up."

"Major…," Teyla objected.

"No, Teyla." He cut her off, his tone and expression serious.

Teyla nodded silently.

He arched a brow at Sora. "I'm betting there'll be guards at the gate?"

Sora nodded. "It is likely. Especially if this Brahan has summoned Hydus, and there is every reason to believe he has by now."

John waved his team on as he edged away from the rock and started walking again. He risked a brief glance back at Sora. "Who is this Hydus?" Silence met his question and his eyes narrowed in irritation. He stopped and faced her. "Sora?" His voice carried as much warning as his expression, but he felt some of his anger melt as he saw how pale Sora's face was. He stared intently into her brown eyes. "Sora?" he repeated, his tone more tempered.

She looked away. "He is the Head of Intelligence," she replied quietly. "Hydus is a man to be feared. Even my father, who was highly placed in the Genii military, would not cross Hydus."

John felt his concern intensify as she once again found his gaze. Something akin to fear shadowed her expression, and John took no comfort in it.

"I believe, as did my father, that if not properly controlled, Hydus could and would overthrow the leadership. He has the ability, and the resources." Sora swallowed hard.

"Why keep him around then?" Ford wondered aloud. "If he's that dangerous, why don't your leaders, I don't know, arrest him?"

Sora's half smile was cynical. "At that level of the Genii government, no one is arrested. They are… disposed of." She shook her head. "You do not kill the Head of Intelligence casually. He carries a lot of political weight and influence. It is a… delicate matter. For one thing, his men would see to any retribution, and their methods can be barbaric. There are not many people that would go against him or his men, regardless of their rank or influence. That is how he has stayed in power so long."

"Sounds like the Gestapo." Rodney muttered.

John caught Teyla and Sora's confused looks. "Secret police," he supplied. "They enforced dictatorial rule through violence, fear and brutality. Enemies of the government were dealt with, whether they were guilty of any crimes or not."

Sora nodded thoughtfully. "Then yes, to an extent, they are similar. But Hydus and his men rarely act against the Genii population. They do ensure the loyalty of the spy network, though… by any means necessary."

Part of John was appalled as he started walking again. "You think Hydus is here?"

"Yes," Sora replied. "If the matter is important enough, he would attend to it personally."

"Important enough as in a lead on us?" Rodney's voice was cold. "This is all very interesting, but how do we know you're not lying to our face? Or, for that matter, how do we know that you didn't somehow tip off Zenel or the Genii about our real identities?"

John stopped and turned quickly as he felt the absence of Sora right behind him.

She was descending on McKay, her face scant inches from his. "I did **not** betray you! What interest Hydus has in this planet, or us for that matter, I have no idea. I cannot explain the trap or the ambush or anything that has happened! If you do not believe me, then there is nothing I can do about it!" She inched closer to him. "But, I will not stand here and take your insults any longer!"

John was mildly surprised that McKay didn't back down. He reached out and grabbed Sora's arm, pulling her back. "All right, that's enough!" Sora pulled against him, but John held fast. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. "Knock it off! We have enough to worry about without this crap!" Anger sparked in his eyes. "Stand down."

Sora backed away and nodded once.

John took a moment to glare at Rodney. Uncharacteristically silent, Rodney wouldn't meet John's gaze, but his expression was anything but cowed.

John sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

Bates' senses instantly sharpened as he emerged from the wormhole, his team right behind him. His hand slid under his duster length coat and latched onto the grip of his sidearm while he looked around, wary of any sign of trouble. Behind him, the wormhole disengaged. Bates glanced at Walker. "Any idea where to go?"

Walker pulled out an LSD and tapped a couple keys. "Four life signs coming our way through the trees," he pointed left, "from that direction."

Bates nodded once, curtly. "Cover." He led them into the thick underbrush not far from the gate's DHD.

"With any luck, it's the Major, and we can all go home," Corporal Jackson muttered.

"Since when are we ever lucky?" Sergeant Miller quipped.

Bates silenced both of them with a cold glare, before again looking at the gate. They didn't have to wait long: a faint rustling in the trees produced four men. His gaze narrowed. Their uniforms were distinctly Genii, but different than Bates had seen before. They all had the look of dangerous men, even killers, but the one in the lead worried Bates the most. His gaze was cunning, and his expression showed a cold dispassion that tripped all kinds of alarms in Bates. The man was lethal, of that, Bates was certain. _And if he's after the Major…._

"Damn. Genii," Walker whispered.

Bates nodded. "Can you see the DHD?"

Walker pulled out his binoculars. "Yep. Clear as day."

"Get the address they dial," Bates ordered curtly.

"Sir?" Jackson whispered.

"Those aren't ordinary Genii, Corporal. Look at them. Besides, the Genii being here is too much of a coincidence for me." Bates kept his voice low. "We may need to know later where they're going." He watched as the Genii dialed the DHD and disappeared through the Stargate.

"We gonna follow them?" Miller asked.

Bates shook his head. "Not until we're as sure as we can be that the Major and his team aren't still here somewhere."

"Then I need something to write on," Walker's voice was distracted, as he seemed to be concentrating on remembering the dialed address, "I can't remember these symbols forever." He broke off a nearby stick and quickly scratched the address into the soft dirt on the ground next to him.

"That's a problem," Miller sighed. "We all left our flak vests behind. I don't have anything…."

"None of us do," Bates frowned. He glanced at Walker. "Anyone else around?"

Walker scanned his LSD and shook his head. "Nope, we're clear."

"Ahh, time to think outside the box," Jackson stood and emerged from cover, looking around carefully. He stared at a nearby tree for a moment, before smiling smugly.

Bates and the rest of the team followed him, as Jackson pulled a knife from his belt sheath and cut into the thick bark of the tree. "Jackson?" Bates questioned. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We need something to write on, don't we?" Sheathing his knife, Jackson pulled off a thick piece of bark, about six inches long. He handed it to Walker. "Use your knife and carve it into that."

Walker smiled, took the bark and returned to where he'd written the address in the dirt.

Bates looked around, his gaze fixing on the faint trail the Genii had come from. He pointed to it. "Once Walker has the address, we'll see where that takes us." His frown intensified. The lead was thin, and he knew it. It was a big planet, and the Major and his team could've gone anywhere once they'd arrived. But his gut instinct told him that seeing the Genii returning from that direction was more than a coincidence. With no other viable options, he didn't think they had much choice but to follow his instincts.

After a minute, Walker returned. He smiled and faced the bark toward them. Distinctly carved into its surface were seven chevrons.

Bates nodded. "Keep that safe. I'm on point, Miller take the six. Move out." He strode confidently across the small clearing and headed into the woods, following the only lead they had.

* * *

Brahan nodded respectfully as Hydus and his men emerged from the wormhole. "Commander Hydus."

"Brahan."

Brahan suppressed a shudder at Hydus' cold smile. "The traitors…."

"Yes, I assume your strike team has them in custody by now?" Hydus walked away from the gate and past Brahan and looked around. "Such a boring landscape."

Brahan bit his lip and swallowed hard as Hydus looked back at him. He couldn't meet the commander's gaze, and he knew that betrayed him.

"You have lost them." Hydus' voice lacked any questioning.

"I… I only received word a few moments ago. The traitors took the team by surprise and overwhelmed them. Two of the team are dead, the other three are in pursuit as we speak." Brahan stared at the ground, part of him waiting for the commander to kill him. Cold sweat tickled his neck.

"Look at me, Brahan. I cannot stand a coward."

Brahan swallowed at Hydus' blunt statement and tentatively looked up. "Commander?"

Hydus' gaze was cunning and dispassionate. "Had you been party to losing the traitors, I would kill you where you stand. Failure is not something I tolerate."

The chilling and factual way Hydus discussed his execution sent chills up Brahan's back. He nodded. "Yes, Commander."

Hydus looked at his men. "We will stay here for a while."

"Commander?" Brahan was confused and his voice showed it. He wilted under Hydus' glare.

"It is no wonder you have not moved up in the ranks, Brahan," Hydus chided, "you do not have the intelligence for it."

Brahan flushed in embarrassment, the insult stinging him, but fear stole his voice and he remained silent.

"They have nowhere to go but through the gate, Brahan. I see no reason to chase them, when they will come to me. What is left of your pitiful team is pursuing them, and I am waiting for them here." Hydus smiled coldly. "They will not escape."

* * *

The sun was slipping below the horizon as John crouched behind a tall pillar of rock and peeked out at the Stargate. It was considerably farther away than he would have liked, but the rocky hills ran parallel to its position and there was no way to get closer without leaving them and heading into the open plains; something he wasn't willing to do until he had the cover of darkness.

He squinted and just about managed to make out five Genii guarding the gate. "Reinforcements," he muttered.

"Not just any reinforcements," Sora shook her head. "I believe that is Hydus on the left, and three other of those men are dressed in the uniforms of Genii Intelligence."

John stared hard at a tall Genii standing motionless just to the left of the gate. "Hydus and his trained thugs?" He sighed. "Great."

"The sun is behind us, Major," Teyla observed. "As soon as we emerge from these rocks, we will be visible against its light."

"They'd see us coming way before we had a chance to do anything," Ford added.

John nodded. "We wait for darkness… and hope our pursuing friends don't find us before then." He glanced at Ford. "Lieutenant, keep a sharp eye out behind us."

Ford nodded and turned his attention in the direction they came from.

John settled back against a rock, his 'take action now' side chafing at the wait. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Genii pursuing them caught up. With Hydus and his men waiting at the gate, John felt caught between a rock and a hard place. He scratched the back of his head absently as he tried to form some plan for escape.

"Major?" Sora asked, her voice tentative.

John looked at her, and arched an eyebrow at her hesitant expression. "Yeah?"

Sora looked around. "Considering the situation we are in, would it not be prudent to let me have a gun?"

Rodney's snort beat John to a reply. "Are you kidding? Why don't we just surrender now and save everyone the trouble!" Rodney snapped sarcastically.

Sora glared at him, all hesitation gone from her demeanor. "You need all the help you can get if we all want to get out of this alive."

"Sure! We give you a gun so you can shoot us in the back!" Rodney's voice rose slightly in anger.

"Dr. McKay," Teyla interjected quietly, "you are not helping."

"Teyla's right." John plastered a look of command on his face. He glared at Rodney for a moment, before turning his attention to Sora. His gaze narrowed as he studied her. If she was telling the truth, they definitely could benefit from her being armed. She was a skilled soldier. But if she was deceiving them…. "Aw, hell." John exhaled loudly. He pulled the spare Genii handgun he was carrying from his belt, grabbed the barrel and held the grip towards her. He held fast as she took hold of the weapon. "You follow my orders to the letter. Understand?"

"Yes, Major," she answered.

Her tone was respectful… but it only tempered John's unease slightly. He nodded back and, after a moment, let go of the gun, relinquishing it to her.

"Great," Rodney muttered.

John ignored him as he set his head back against the rock, wracking his brain as he tried to find a means of escape. He grimaced. "We're never going to get close to the gate without them seeing us. If we wait for darkness, then we can't see them either." John shook his head in frustration. "I don't think our pursuing friends are going to give us the time anyway."

"So stop hiding." Sora suggested.

John's brows furrowed as he looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Hiding has gotten us this far, but I do not believe it will help us anymore. But we could pretend that you are my prisoners. I can escort you to the gate at gunpoint, under the guise that you have surrendered…."

"What! You've got to be joking!" Rodney interrupted. "You want us to give you our weapons and let you take us out into the open unarmed?"

John shook his head. "McKay's right. Sorry, Sora. I'm still not convinced I can trust you at all, much less with the safety of my team."

"We will have to find another way," Teyla affirmed.

John recoiled slightly from the expression that overtook Sora's face as she shook her head vehemently. "Look around you, Major," she hissed. "There is no cover between here and the gate. The only way you are going to get close without alerting Hydus and his men is by a ruse." She froze, her stare piercing his. "It is the only way."

"Sir," Ford's voice interjected. "We're not gonna be alone for long. If we're going to do something, we have to do it soon."

John stared hard at Sora. His gaze searched her expression, looking for any clues on her real intention, but found none. He looked away, pursed his lips and nodded once. "Okay. We do it your way." He glared at her for a moment and his voice took on a dangerous note. "Don't double cross me, Sora." He held her gaze, watching as she swallowed hard, his unspoken threat clear to her.

He looked at each of his team. "Give her your side arms, but keep the concealed nine mils." He looked back at Sora. "I'm not going into this completely unarmed."

He handed her his weapon… praying he hadn't made a fatal mistake.

* * *

The earlymorning sun warmed his face as Bates led his team into the village. Around them, people bustled, going about their business, but his gaze was fixed on the inn just across the courtyard. "Ma'am?" his voice stopped a village woman who was walking past them.

She looked at them suspiciously, clearly wary of strangers.

He tried a small smile. "Is that the only inn in the village?"

She nodded hesitantly. "Yes, but it does not open until midday."

He stepped back. "Thanks." He looked at the inn as the woman walked away. "Lets give it a try. This Zenel could be there already." He led his team across the courtyard.

"Sergeant, what makes you think this guy'll talk to us?" Walker asked. "Sora seemed pretty adamant he wouldn't talk to strangers."

Bates shook his head and strengthened his resolve. "We'll have to be really persuasive then. I have a gut feeling the Major is in trouble, and we're going to do everything we can to help." He glanced at Walker. "And if that means I have to ruffle a few feathers along the way, I don't have a problem with that."

Walker nodded back, a faint smile creasing his mouth. "Yes, sir."

Bates stopped at the doorway to the inn, his senses sharpening at the partially open door. He looked back at his team, a wordless order passing between them, as all four men drew their side arms and cautiously entered the inn.

Everything seemed in order: there was no sign of burglary or forced entry. Bates looked at Walker and Jackson and motioned his head right.

Both men nodded and started around the right side of the room, while Bates and Miller circled left. Slowly, Bates approached the bar and peeked over it. He blanched at what he saw and, despite being a hardened soldier, looked away. "Think we found him," he croaked.

"Damn," Miller whispered, as he too caught sight of Zenel's body.

Jackson and Walker crossed the room and looked over the bar.

"Aw, hell," Jackson muttered. "So much for that lead."

Walker's face wrinkled. "They didn't kill him quick, that's for sure. I've seen torture but that…." His voice trailed off.

Bates holstered his gun and looked around. "Okay. The only thing we have left is that gate address. Let's go." Swiftly crossing the room, he led his team from the inn.

As they cleared the village and started into the woods, Bates broke into a brisk run, and his team followed his lead.

* * *

The shimmering wormhole did little to soothe Elizabeth's nerves as she tapped her headset. Her stomach was in knots, and had been ever since Peter informed her Bates was checking in from off world. "Sergeant? What did you find?"

"Ma'am," Bates' voice came over the radio immediately, "Sora's contact is dead. Looks like someone tortured him for information then killed him."

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment. If she'd been unsure the Major and his team were in trouble before, now no doubt was left within her. "Major Sheppard and his team?" she asked, unable to keep a note of hesitation from her voice.

"No sign of them, ma'am," Bates replied curtly, "or Sora for that matter."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully at the implication of Bates' statement. _Did Sora betray them?_ It was a question she still didn't have an answer to. "Understood Sergeant. Recommendations?"

"We spotted a group of Genii leaving shortly after we arrived. Jackson got the gate address when they dialed out. I say we follow up on that lead."

Elizabeth rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What makes you so sure Major Sheppard and his team aren't still on that planet?" Even over the radio, she could hear Bates's sigh.

"It's too much of a coincidence for me, ma'am." Bates answered. "A group of Genii soldiers, in uniforms I've never seen before, 'gating off-world when we know this spymaster probably had intel on where the Potentia might be and the Genii leadership are probably hunting the Potentia as well? The spymaster hasn't been dead for long, so it's a pretty good chance they were the killers. Maybe there's some sort of anti-government faction at work here?" He sighed again. "I don't have any hard facts, ma'am, but with the spymaster dead, and no sign of the Major's team, my guess is they got out of here just ahead of the Genii. In which case, there are some pretty dangerous characters on their tails."

"Why would the Genii kill the spymaster?" Elizabeth wondered out loud. "Do you think our people's identities were discovered?"

"It's possible. I really have no idea, ma'am. Like I said, it could be some sort of anti-government faction after the ZPM too." His voice took on a hard note. "There's something else going on here, I'm almost certain of it. My guess is the Major and his team landed smack dab in the middle of it. If that's the case, they're gonna need some backup."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Sergeant, I appreciate you wanting to help the Major, but we don't have any facts here. How do you know you're not going off on some wild-goose chase?"

"I don't." His answer was curt. "But right now, it's the only lead we have. Like I said, it's too much of a coincidence for me."

It was Elizabeth's turn to sigh. Leaning on the control room railing, she drummed her fingers on its smooth surface, as her brain tried to sort through the bits and pieces of intel she had to work with.

"Ma'am?" Bates questioned after a long moment of silence.

Nodding once to herself, Elizabeth looked up at the active gate, determination taking over her expression. "Go, Sergeant, but be careful. Routine check-ins please."

"Yes, ma'am," Bates immediately responded. "We'll do our best to keep you apprised of the situation. Bates out."

Elizabeth frowned but nodded anyway. They had no idea what situation they were going into, and there were no guarantees that anyone could check in with her on a regular basis. "Understood, Sergeant. Weir out."

As the wormhole disengaged, Elizabeth turned and headed towards the exterior door leading to the Deck. Her face showed her hesitation, and she knew it. She needed a few minutes alone to organize her thoughts.

Stepping out into the bright sunshine, she slowly crossed the Deck and stopped at the railing. Resting her hand on one of the vertical columns, her gaze traveled over the peaceful city that surrounded her. A deep, almost motherly, sense of protection welled within her. In the months they'd been in Atlantis, the city had grown on her. And now, with the Wraith less than two weeks away, she found herself in a position where she'd risk much to protect the city – and her team – from them. She knew she wasn't alone. John's words echoed in her head.

_Before you ask me if any of this is desperation, I'll answer you. You're damn right it is, at least partially. I wouldn't even consider doing this if the Wraith weren't knocking on our door and that ZPM could be the one thing that stands between the destruction of Atlantis and our survival…._

They all felt the kinship… the need not only to protect each other, but the city itself. Before arriving in Atlantis, she would never have considered doing something so…. She shook her head cynically. _Just call it what it is, Elizabeth…._

Desperate.

She didn't believe for one second that any of them were going off half-cocked, but this was beyond the boundaries of safety that she'd always tried to adhere to. _If it was anything but a ZPM…._

She sighed and found her composure. At this point, she'd settle for having all her people back safely, ZPM or not. Hiding her hesitation behind a mask of confidence, she turned and re-entered the control room.

* * *

Sir," Ford whispered, catching John's attention.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" John watched as Ford nodded his head behind them.

"It's them. About a hundred yards off, by my guess." Ford's words only reinforced John's decision.

"We're out of time. Let's do this." He stood and watched Sora as she pulled one of the four Genii side arms tucked into her belt and pointed it at him.

She arched a cold eyebrow. "Go."

John felt the pinch of uncertainty in his gut, but gave her a dangerous look anyway. "Be careful where you point that thing," he quipped dryly.

He and his team picked their way out of the rocks and started across the open plains towards the gate. As he suspected, it didn't take long for Hydus and his men to spot them.

The four Genii with Hydus instantly drew weapons, but Hydus himself stood quietly as Sora marched John's team towards them.

"Move it," Sora hissed, as she pushed roughly on Rodney's shoulder.

"Ouch, hey!" Rodney protested, his outburst dying as she pointed the gun at him in a no-nonsense way.

John glanced back, his jaw clenching in concern at her cold expression. He saw Sora glanced at Hydus then back at Rodney. "I said move!" she spat at him.

Rodney waved his hands. "All right, okay!"

Sora turned her cold glare at John. "Keep moving."

Anger welled inside John at her spiteful expression. _Damn it…._

As they approached Hydus and his men, Sora moved around beside John's team, her gaze and her gun never leaving them. "I believe these are the men you are looking for, Hydus?"

John shifted his gaze to Hydus, watching as the spymaster's eyes widened slightly in recognition as he looked at Sora. John's jaw clenched painfully. The cold, calculated hate he saw in Hydus made a killer like Zenel look like an altar boy. Capture and captivity by Hydus was something John didn't even want to consider, for before him stood a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

"_I already told you. We're not going to torture you, Sora."_

"_It would not be the same if our positions were reversed."_

Hydus's voice broke into John's thoughts.

"Sora, daughter of Tyrus? But you were captured by…." Hydus' voice trailed off as his gaze found John's. His eyes lit with a cold, almost maniacal joy. "Lanteans." He slowly walked forward and stood toe to toe with John. "This is indeed a pleasant surprise." His eyes passed over John's team, taking in their appearances. "Of course," he muttered. "The team is all too familiar." He looked again at John. "You must be… Major Sheppard."

Sora beat John to a reply. "He is," she spat.

"You double-crossing brat!" Rodney's outburst grabbed Sora's attention. "I can't believe we fell…."

Sora pointed the gun directly at his head. "Be quiet, or I will silence you permanently."

"And you," Hydus turned his attention to Rodney, "must be Dr. McKay." Hydus waved at Sora. "No, Sora, do not kill him. The Genii will gain much from his knowledge." Hydus stepped around John and stood close to Rodney. "When he is properly motivated." He gave Sora a brief smile as he walked back to face John. "Your father would be proud." He turned, signaling his men. "Very proud. This is a fortunate day for the Genii."

John sent a scathing look at Sora, barely containing the fury inside him. He ground his teeth in frustration. _How could he have read her so wrong? She'd been playing them from the beginning…._ His attention returned to Hydus, who stepped aside and gestured towards the Stargate.

"Move. We return to the home world immediately."

John's gaze switched to the soldiers that walked towards him. The reality of what he and his team faced turned his blood cold. He'd been here before… knew what men like Hydus did to men like him and his team.

_Despite the desert heat, the Taliban prison was cold at night. He sat in the near complete darkness, huddled in the corner, trying to ignore the pain in his ribs and the throbbing from his cheek and nose. He glanced down at Lieutenant Sevcek's head resting on his shoulder. "We'll get out of this, Checky," he muttered, not sure if his co-pilot could hear him or not. He kind of hoped the lieutenant didn't hear him; John had a hard time believing his own words. For three days, the Taliban had interrogated him and Checky…. John snorted. Interrogate, hell! Half the time they never asked a single question. _

_Over those three days, John found himself swaying between moments of optimism, when he believed that they'd be rescued, and pessimism, wishing the RPG that brought down his 'copter would've killed all of them, sparing him and his Rio a slow death in this Taliban hellhole._

_At first the faint scuffling sounds from the outside corridor didn't register with him. By now he was used to hearing other prisoners being taken away by Taliban guards. Some left on their own two feet, only to be dragged back and thrown helplessly into their cells. Some didn't come back at all. But as a heavily armed soldier ran through the door and to his cell, John gently pushed Sevcek's head off his shoulder and stood, determined to meet whatever fate he faced with strength. The soldier pulled down a set of night vision goggles. _

"_Major Sheppard? We're here to get you out, sir."_

John shook off the memories and forced himself to focus on the situation at hand. But, the nightmarish memories stuck with him. He'd been lucky… damn lucky the SF team had found them. From Ford's file, he knewthe lieutenant had no POW experience, and it was a given that Teyla and Rodney didn't either. John clenched his jaw. He damn sure wasn't going to let any of them find out what it was like.

"What about the others?" one of the soldiers questioned.

Hydus shrugged. "They can return and answer for their incompetence later… if they have the courage to do so."

The four Genii fanned out behind John's team. He felt the cold barrel of a gun in his back, accompanied by gruff words.

"To the gate."

He stumbled slightly as the soldier roughly pushed him. John risked a glance at Teyla, instantly recognizing the hint of fear she couldn't quite hide. He doubted anyone but he noticed it; it was carefully masked. But John had known her long enough to see it. The cold cramp in his gut intensified. Instinctively he knew that in the custody of a man like Hydus, for Teyla… a woman, it would be worse than for him or the others. John felt the fire of raw, determined anger. He couldn't… he wouldn't stand by and let that happen.

John caught her eye and poured as much reassurance as he could into his gaze. After a moment Teyla nodded back, her expression understanding.

His gaze touched on Rodney, a civilian and even less prepared for something like this, even if, deep down, John was convinced Rodney harbored a strength and measure of courage that he didn't even know he had. The Genii wanted Rodney's knowledge… his expertise, and John had a sinking feeling that once Rodney realized it, he'd redefine the concept of leverage, sacrificing himself for his team. It was a position John wasn't about to let Rodney end up in.

John sucked in a quiet, deep breath and again vowed he wouldn't let this happen to any of his team. He knew that if Hydus managed to take them through the gate, they'd never escape the Genii home world alive, not without help, and he doubted a strike team from Atlantis would have any success at all. His frown deepened. Atlantis already had precious few soldiers, especially without him and his team, and they couldn't afford to lose any more on a futile rescue attempt. Negotiating a release was also out. The Genii made it plain they wanted McKay, the price would be too steep, and he'd never put Elizabeth in the position of choosing between them and Atlantis.

John glanced at Ford. The young Lieutenant's gaze held the unasked question. _Now or later? _He nodded slightly, his expression darkening, and he knew the unspoken order came through loud and clear. Killing was always a last resort for John, but sometimes it was unavoidable... and this was one of those times. It was the lives of his people, or the Genii, and John knew his team would come through.

He waited… biding his time, looking for the right moment, while adrenaline surged through him. Sora was an unknown factor, but John couldn't afford to delay because of her.

Hydus dialed the DHD and waved at his men. "Take them through."

He drew in a deep breath an instant before he threw his elbow back as hard as he could, catching the soldier guarding him square in the midsection. Instantly, the rest of his team sprang into action, with the exception of McKay, who immediately dropped to the ground. In one, smooth motion, John pulled his concealed nine mil and sent two shots into the Genii's chest.

John spun towards Hydus, unconsciously flinching as Hydus was propelled backwards away from the DHD by the force of several bullets. John tore his gaze from Hydus and, for a moment, stared in shock at the spy's executioner.

Cold calculation shadowed Sora's expression as she fired one more shot into Hydus.

John's gaze found Teyla as she ducked under the swing of another Genii and spun behind him. Grabbing his head, she twisted it, breaking his neck and killing him instantly.

Another gunshot grabbed John's attention, and he turned his head just in time to see a fourth Genii fall. Ford stared at the Genii dispassionately over the barrel of his nine mil.

Then a warning shout from Rodney reached his ears. "Major! Watch out!"

John spun, his gaze finding the final Genii soldier pointing a weapon at him. He heard another gunshot even as a heavy weight barreled him to the ground. He rolled away easily, coming up in a kneeling position, his gun ready, but there was no need.

The Genii who had fired on him convulsed and fell backwards as Ford took him down with several shots. John held his gun ready. "Are we clear?" he shouted.

"Yes, sir!" Ford immediately responded.

John lowered his gun. "Everyone okay?" Hearing the affirmative answers from his team, he glanced behind him, his eyes widening at Sora's prone form. She was breathing heavily, her face contorted in pain, and blood was rapidly seeping around her fingers as they grasped her left shoulder.

"No…," she gasped.

"Damn it." John crawled over to her, sparing a moment for the rest of the team. "Teyla, Ford! Watch the perimeter. All that gunfire is going to bring our friends out of the hills pretty quick! McKay! Shut down the gate and dial Atlantis!" He nodded once at Sora as he put his hand over hers. "Take it easy." He pressed her hand firmly over the wound, wincing as she gasped in pain, her eyes squeezing shut. "Sorry." He glanced up, suspiciously eyeing the foothills, before looking down at her again. "Can you move?"

"I think so." She tried to sit up, but fell back with a strangled cry.

"Whoa…." John's voice trailed off, his gaze narrowing as movement from the foothills caught his attention. Gunfire erupted. "Take cover!"

He wasn't far from the gate, almost the only cover available. Grabbing Sora, he hauled her to her feet. Shutting out her pained cries, he threw her uninjured arm over his shoulder and half carried her towards the gate. Behind him, Teyla fired repeatedly, along with Ford, who had already taken shelter behind one side of the gate. Their combined gunfire forced a momentary retreat by the Genii, and provided cover as John dodged behind the other side of the gate. He laid Sora in the tall grass, and then peered back around the gate. "Teyla?" His gaze searched for his Athosian team member, before his eyes fixed on a barely visible form lying in the tall grass adjacent to the gate.

Teyla turned her head slightly and nodded once at him.

In spite of the serious situation, John smiled for a moment. A hunter all her life, Teyla knew how to hide well, and the browns of her clothing provided the perfect camouflage. He was barely twenty feet away from her and could hardly make her out through the thick grass. There was no way the Genii over one hundred yards away would be able to spot her.

A gunshot hit the ground near him and John ducked back behind the gate. He looked down at Sora's pained face. "Stay still." He let a slight smile play at one corner of his mouth, and nodded slightly at her, as she pulled her sidearm from her thigh holster and held it close.

He returned his attention to the task at hand. He let his head rest against the gate. "McKay!" He shouted, "Why aren't you dialing?"

"I'd rather **not** get my head blown off, thank you!" Rodney's annoyed voice answered.

"Sir," Ford interjected, "McKay's pinned down."

John risked a glance around the gate and at the DHD. Rodney was huddled behind the Ancient device, with no access to the keypad to dial. "Crap," he muttered. He ducked back behind the gate as another shot rang out. "This could be a problem!" he shouted.

"Oh really? What was your first clue?" Rodney shot back. "Even if I could dial, you have to get away from the gate, or the forming wormhole will kill all of you!"

John's gaze narrowed. "McKay! We're **behind** the gate! The wormhole is going to flush **away** from us!"

"I **know** that!" Rodney's voice cracked. "The wormhole will…. Look, do you **really** want me to explain this to you **right now**?"

"Okay!" John conceded, "I get the point!"

Another gunshot rang out. "**That** was close!" Rodney yelled. "Whose brilliant idea was this anyway?"

"Pipe down, McKay!" John shouted. He looked around. "We…." John's voice trailed off as he felt a strong vibration from the gate resonate through his back, an instant before the first chevron lit. "Damn it!"

"It's an incoming wormhole!" Rodney yelled. "Get away from the gate!"

"No kidding, McKay!" Ford answered as he dove away from the gate, and into the tall grass. Multiple shots rang out as the Genii tried to hit him.

From her cover in the grass, Teyla returned fire. After a moment, her shots were joined by Ford's.

Ford glanced at John. "Go, sir! We got your back!"

John looked down at Sora, who dropped her gun and extended her good arm at him. He nodded once at her, grabbed her forearm and sprang to his feet. He pulled her with him as he threw himself into the tall grass to one side of the gate an instant before the wormhole flushed into existence.

Despite her best attempts, Sora cried out in pain as she was jostled and fell heavily to the ground.

John rolled away and lay flat on his stomach. He looked back at her, his words stopped by her weak wave.

"Had no choice…," she gasped. Her eyelids grew heavy.

"Hey!" John poked her good shoulder roughly. "Hey!" He stared hard at her as she fixed glassy eyes on him. "Stay with me, Sora. Stay awake."

"Is that… an order, Major?" she muttered.

John trained his gun on the shimmering event horizon. "You're damn right it is." He squinted at the wormhole. _If it's more Genii, we're screwed…_.

Gunfire immediately erupted from the Genii at whoever was coming through the gate.

"Hit the dirt!" one of the newcomers shouted. The men scattered and dove into the tall grass.

John's eyes widened in recognition as he too returned fire at the Genii.

The wormhole dissolved and John risked a look sideways. "Bates? I love your timing!"

Bates eyes widened as his gaze found John. "Major?"

John quelled a moment of humor as he watched Bates pushed away his surprise. He turned back towards the hills, spotting one of the Genii, but before he could fire, a gunshot from Ford's direction leveled the man. John arched a brow at Ford. "Nice shot, Lieutenant."

Ford nodded back. "Thanks, sir."

"Think you can do it again?" John questioned.

"Only if they stick their heads out," Ford replied.

John looked back at the Genii, pointedly noticing the lack of gunfire. "Looks like your arrival and Ford's aim is making the two of them think twice, Bates. What do you say we get the hell out of here before they change their minds?"

Bates cracked a small smile. "Yes, sir!"

John waved at Rodney. "Go, McKay!"

Wasting no time, Rodney ducked out from behind the DHD and quickly dialed Atlantis. "Entering my IDC now!" he shouted. He dropped to his knees as a bullet hit the dirt close to him.

"That's it!" John shouted. "They're done thinking!" He pulled out his radio. "Atlantis! This is Sheppard! We're coming in hot! Have security and a medical team ready!"

The extra men and ammo tipped the tide as John and his team, along with Bates and his men, staggered their fire. The continuous stream of shots in the direction of the remaining two Genii gave them no choice but to take cover, unable to return fire.

"Major?" Weir's voice sounded concerned but relieved. "The shield is down and security is in place. Beckett and his team are on the way. Come home."

"Copy that!" John waved furiously at his people. "Fall back!" He looked down at Sora, her expression distant and shoulder still bleeding freely. Her glassy, brown eyes met his. He crouched, gently slid his hands under her and slowly picked her up, before turning and heading for the gate. Bates was right next to him, providing cover fire, as the rest of his people filtered through.

Holding tightly to Sora, and convinced that Bates was right with him, John backed through the wormhole. He staggered slightly as he emerged in the Atlantis gate room, Bates right next to him.

"Raise the shield!" Bates shouted, beating John to the command.

The shield sprang to life for a few seconds, before the wormhole disengaged.

John carefully laid Sora on the gate room floor and pressed one hand into her bleeding shoulder, while the other found her carotid pulse. He looked at her closed eyes. "Sora? Can you hear me?" He shook his head. He felt like his emotions were on a roller coaster. First trusting her, then thinking she'd betrayed them, then seeing her kill Hydus… and saving his life. "Come on, stay with us…," he muttered.

He looked up, finding the gazes of each of his team members. Suspicion no longer showed in their eyes, only concern. The exception was Bates, who looked confused. "She saved my life," John explained quietly.

Bates expression turned from confusion to shock, but he said nothing.

John returned his attention to Sora's unconscious face. Even when he'd trusted her, he hadn't _really _trusted her, not completely anyway. But, as he stared down at her, all the suspicion within him faded. She'd saved his life, risking hers to do so. In his book that was all the proof he needed.

"Major!"

John looked up, watching Elizabeth hurry down the gate room stairs, taking them two at a time. His attention was pulled from her as Carson and his team rushed into the gate room from the east entrance.

"Ach!" Carson knelt next to Sora. He looked up at John. "All right, Major, give us some room."

Carson's statement was no nonsense and John backed away as he and two other medics tended Sora, while another saw to McKay.

"Ouch! Hey! Careful!" Rodney protested loudly as one of the medics helped him onto a gurney. "Easy!"

John's attention returned to Elizabeth. He smiled slightly at the look of relief in her face. His smile faded. "No ZPM."

Elizabeth nodded once. "I'm just relieved to have you all back safely." She looked around and sighed, before smiling at the group. "I'd love to know what happened, but that can wait. Get to the infirmary and get checked out. We'll debrief later." Her smile faded a little as she looked down at Sora for a moment, then back to John.

John nodded at the unspoken question in Elizabeth's eyes. "She did good." He also looked down at Sora as Carson's team lifted her onto a gurney. "Real good." He flashed a half smile at Elizabeth, but that was all he had time to spare. As Carson and his medics wheeled Sora and McKay from the gate room, John was right with them.

* * *

"You know? I could've been killed by this little stunt," Rodney groused as he punched a pillow and threw it behind his head. "I can't believe Beckett is only keeping me overnight."

John rolled his eyes and gave Rodney his best cynical look. "You were only grazed, McKay. Don't be so dramatic."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Air Force Hero!" Rodney snapped. "You macho military types get shot at the drop of a hat, but those of us who use our brains instead of our brawn have an aversion to certain death!"

John stared dryly back. "You're alive, aren't you? Besides," he rushed on, "we had a chance at a ZPM." His humor faded.

Rodney's protest died on his lips. He looked away and nodded. "Yeah, we did."

John sighed, the tension brought on by the approach of the Wraith redoubling in him. The Wraith armada crept towards them, only eight days away now, and they were no closer to finding a viable defense than they were six days ago. He shook off his gloom. "Well," he smiled in a challenging way as Rodney once more looked at him. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

Rodney's expression soured. "Right. **I'll **think of something."

John quirked his brows at Rodney, before turning and walking away. Crossing the infirmary, he stopped a short distance from Sora's bed and smiled briefly as Carson walked over to him. "How is she, Doc?" he ventured quietly.

Carson smiled. "She'll be fine. The bullet passed clean through her shoulder. With a little time, she'll recover." He tilted his head towards Sora's bed. "She's awake, and asking to speak to you, Major."

John nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

"Not too long, Major." Carson warned. "She needs her rest."

"Right." Turning away from Carson, John grinned as he walked up next to Sora. "Guess I owe you a thanks."

Sora weakly returned his smile. "You are welcome, Major." She glanced at Carson, hovering at the end of the bed. "I wish to speak to the Major in private, Doctor."

Carson nodded. "Aye, but keep it short."

"I'll make sure of that, Doc," John reassured him. He returned his attention to Sora as Carson walked away. He sighed and sat down on a stool. "I gotta admit, you had me fooled for a moment back there." He stared intently at her. "I thought you double crossed me."

Sora looked away for a moment. "I would be lying to you if I said I did not consider it," she replied quietly.

John's gaze narrowed. "Why didn't you?"

Sora looked back at him, her expression neutral. "It was a chance to eliminate Hydus without retribution from his men. He has manipulated the leadership to his advantage for a very long time. The Genii are better without him."

John tensed slightly. "And if it had been anyone else? If Hydus and his men hadn't been been such a threat to the Genii?"

Sora gave him a direct look. "Then I would not have killed them. Wounded? Yes. But not executed them."

John felt frustration build within him. Since her capture, he'd carefully fostered what he thought was trust between them. Hearing her matter-of-fact response disheartened him. "Fine. But, that still doesn't explain why you saved my life, Sora," he pointed out quietly.

Her gaze softened. "No. It does not."

Slowly, John smiled, his frustration fading. "So?"

She shrugged, wincing as she jostled her shoulder. "You were the commander of the team. It was my duty to protect you."

Part of John was disappointed. He was grateful she'd moved to save his life, regardless of her logic, but part of him wished she'd done it for a better reason than strict adherence to duty and nothing more. He'd believed that saving his life was all the proof he needed to trust her, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. He slapped both hands on his thighs and stood. "Well, whatever the reason," he took a moment to look her in the eye, "thank you. Doc wants you to get your rest so I'll leave you to it." He turned away, stopped only by her soft voice.

"Major?"

John turned back. He caught her gaze and was unable to tear his eyes from hers. For the first time since she'd been on Atlantis, there was a level of sincerity in her brown eyes that begged him to trust her. "Sora?"

"Killing Hydus was best for my people," she ventured quietly. "Saving your life, and helping your team, was best for your people." She took a deep breath. "If Atlantis falls to the Wraith, no one will escape them." She absently picked at her blanket. "When Commander Kolya organized the strike on Atlantis, I believed we should have brought a full company and seized the city, instead of just raiding it. He disagreed, at least at first."

John waited silently as she looked up at him, her sincere gaze tinged with a little shame.

"Now," she continued, "I am glad that we did not succeed in taking Atlantis from you."

He smiled slightly. "Why?"

She sighed. "I would like to believe that in the hands of my people, Atlantis would be a mighty weapon that would ensure our victory against the Wraith." Her voice trailed off as she once again lowered her eyes, apparently unable to look at him. "But it would not be that way. Atlantis would become the tool of petty ambitions and corrupt quests for power. It is…," she swallowed hard, "it is what drives my people." She looked up at him, some spirit returning to her eyes. "Your people are not perfect, Major, but in your hands, Atlantis is a tool to help all of us, including the Genii."

A blush crept up John's cheeks. Countless times since he'd met her, he'd yinged and yanged between trusting her and not trusting her. As he stared at the sincerity that radiated from her, any distrust he felt faded away once and for all. He'd won her over: made her see a much bigger picture than just Genii interests. She had intense loyalty to her people and her way of life but, in the end, John had won a piece of her loyalty not only for himself but for all of them.

She must have seen everything in his expression, for her slowly forming smile was genuine.

He cleared his throat. "You know, with your knowledge and training, **you** could help us help everyone. Teyla does, and she's invaluable." His head dropped slightly as he arched his brows at her.

Sora's smile deepened, but after a moment she shook her head. "No, Major. I cannot." She sighed deeply. "I am Genii, and I have an obligation to my people that I cannot ignore. I must some day return to them, if you will let me. Perhaps even to try and change them, in some small way."

John smiled and nodded. "Kind of thought you'd say that." His gaze narrowed as respect flowed through him. "But the offer stands." He nodded once in return to her renewed smile and left the infirmary.

* * *

Five days' later, John's relaxed strides carried him easily down the long hallway that led from the infirmary to the Gate room. In front of him, Sora walked freely along, her arm suspended in a sturdy sling. Carson judged her well enough to leave the infirmary, as long as she took it easy.

John's mind drifted back to his conversation with Elizabeth two days ago.

_"What are you saying, John?" _

_He grimaced at Elizabeth's no-nonsense stare. "Let her go."_

_Elizabeth arched a brow. "Sora?"  
_

"_Yeah," he nodded. "In six days the Wraith will be on our doorstep. I don't think it's fair to keep her here. Even though we didn't get the ZPM, she tried to help us. We… I owe her one." He stared at Elizabeth as he fell silent._

_She settled back in her chair. "I was hoping to trade her for something that would help us."_

_John shook his head, his gesture answering her before his words did. "The Genii have written her off. They won't trade anything for her." He watched as Elizabeth sighed deeply before nodding._

"_All right. When Carson says she's strong enough to be released, we'll send her home."_

"Why are you doing this?"

Sora's questioning voice pulled John from his thoughts. He stopped in his tracks as she halted and turned to face him. He smiled. "Because it's the right thing to do." His smile faded. "Sora, the Wraith are four days away. It's not fair to keep you here."

"I am not helpless…." Her voice trailed off as she shook her head, realizing that she wasn't even convincing herself, let alone John.

"But," he supplied, "you belong with your people." He knew his words finished her thought. She nodded silently. He followed as she turned and once more walked down the hallway.

Entering the Gate room, John saw her step falter slightly as she noticed a group of people waiting by the inactive gate. He followed her as his gaze passed quickly over Elizabeth, Rodney, Ford and Teyla.

Sora stopped in front of the group. She seemed at a loss for words, something Elizabeth, apparently, picked up on first. John smiled as the leader of Atlantis stepped forward.

"Sora," Elizabeth's smile was slight but warm. "Thank you for trying to help us."

John's gaze switched from Elizabeth to Sora as the latter inclined her head respectfully. His eyes widened slightly at the gesture, one he never thought he'd see her give Elizabeth.

"You are welcome, Dr. Weir," she replied. The respect she'd shown in her nod, stayed with her expression. "I will not look upon civilian diplomats the same way again."

To her credit, Elizabeth said nothing, but held her smile and simply nodded in acknowledgement.

Sora stepped in front of Teyla, who extended her arm, palm up and also smiled. Sora returned the expression and grasped Teyla's forearm.

"Go safely, Sora," Teyla stated quietly.

Sora nodded back. "And you." She held Teyla's arm a moment longer. "I believe the air between us is clear, Teyla Emmagan."

John studied first Sora's expression, then Teyla's. Both held a note of respect and understanding. John smiled slightly. He had thought the hatchet had been buried once and for all between them. Teyla's reply only confirmed his suspicion.

Teyla inclined her head. "I would agree, Daughter of Tyrus." She let go of Sora's forearm and stepped back as Sora turned her attention to Ford.

Ford's smile was small, but relaxed as usual. "Watch your six." His smile faded slightly at her confused look. "Uhh, I mean watch your back."

Sora nodded. "And you, Lieutenant Ford." Her gaze shifted to Rodney. "Dr. McKay. You would still be of great use to the Genii."

John stifled a laugh as Rodney's expression turned suspicious for a moment, before he shrugged. "Huh. Yeah, well I'm invaluable everywhere, why would the Genii be any different?"

"McKay," John rumbled glaring at Rodney.

"Okay, fine." Rodney stared defensively back. His gaze settled on Sora again before he pointed at her sling. "How are you going to explain that?"

She took a step back, allowing her to see all of them, including John, easily. She looked down at the sling, and then back up, her eyes passing over all of them before stopping on John. "To a trusted few, I will tell them the truth… most of it. To everyone else, that I was wounded trying to escape. As soon as I was strong enough to travel, you sent me back, because I was too dangerous to keep around."

"There's a lot of truth to that," John quipped. She smiled as she realized he was making fun of her.

"I tested you often enough, Major," she replied. Her smile faded as she stepped closer to him.

He raised a hand. "Before you say anything," he reached behind his back and under his coat, pulling out Sora's knife, securely sheathed in an ornate Athosian holster. "Here. Thought you might want this back."

Sora's eyes glistened as she reached out with her good arm and took the knife from his grasp. She stared at it silently for a moment, before giving him a long, grateful look. "Major…," she began tentatively. She looked away, shaking her head, apparently at a loss for words again.

John's smile turned understanding. "You're welcome," he replied.

She looked back at him, and nodded slightly.

"Turn around," John took the knife from her grasp. "We can conceal it in your waistband and cover it with your shirt. Probably would blow holes in your cover story to come back armed."

Sora smiled, relinquished the knife and did as he asked.

"Besides," John continued, as he tucked the knife in her waistband and pulled her shirt over it, "I should be thanking you too. Not for saving my life, although thank you very much for that, but for teaching me a little bit about the Genii." John arched a brow as she spun around and gave him a surprised look. "I may not trust your people, but at least I have a little better understanding of them." He held her gaze as a smile slowly formed on her face. He extended his hand, palm up, and she slowly took it. "Take care of yourself, Sora."

"And you, Major," she said quietly. She looked around at the Gate room and the assembled group before she once more looked at John. "The Genii have a saying: 'You are not dead, until you are.'"

John chuckled. "Never give up. At least our people have that much in common." His smile faded. "We won't give up, I can promise that."

"He's right, Sora," Elizabeth affirmed. She looked up and waved at Peter. A moment later the gate began its dialing sequence.

The wormhole flushed into existence and Sora walked towards it, her stride purposeful. Inches from the event horizon she stopped and looked back. "My people must see the error of their ways, or we are doomed to forever suffer under at the hands of the Wraith. I will do my best to help them see that." With one last nod, Sora turned away and disappeared through the wormhole.

John continued watching as the wormhole shimmered for a moment longer and then dissolved. The gate went dark, but it still held his gaze.

"Do you think she means it?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

John smiled, the sound of her voice drawing his attention away from the gate. He looked at her for a long moment, before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I think she does."

* * *

_**Epilogue:**_

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard quickly walked into the gate room, his expression guarded as he approached two people standing in front of the active Stargate. He smiled tensely at Elizabeth, before staring suspiciously at Ladon Radim. He looked back at Elizabeth. "You wanted to see me?"

"Actually," Ladon interrupted, "I did."

John arched his brows and stared coldly at the new Genii leader. "You did? I can't imagine why you'd want to talk to the Errand Boy." He gave Ladon a cynical smile, one that Ladon returned. "Especially since, if you sister hadn't been here on Atlantis and been able to be cured by Beckett, we would've been vaporized along with Cowen."

"Fair enough," Ladon nodded. His gaze was calculating as he stared back at John.

John hated the verbal chess match he found himself in. _Time to knock over a few pawns…._ "Out with it. What do you want?"

"Now, that is hardly the way to address the new leader of the Genii people," Ladon admonished lightly. "Are you not even slightly curious why I trusted your word and let you go?"

John's gaze narrowed. He glanced for a moment at Elizabeth's confused expression before turning his attention back to Ladon. "Because we could cure your sister."

Ladon nodded slightly. "Yes, but why would I trust you were telling me the truth? For all I know, you could have been lying to save yourselves."

"O…kay," John drew out the word. "So why **did** you trust us?"

Ladon's expression sobered. "Because as soon as you said it, I knew you could be trusted."

John felt his impatience rising at the cryptic statements Ladon was making. "So, you can read minds now?" he quipped sarcastically, but Ladon didn't bite. The Genii's expression remained sober. John's irritation was replaced with curiosity.

"No," Ladon replied. "I was drawing on the experience that someone… a trusted friend once told me about."

Abruptly, John's confusion gave way to instant, shocked understanding. His eyes widened as he glanced at Elizabeth, who shared his amazement. He tried to hide his shock under a calculating gaze as he looked back at Ladon, who smiled knowingly.

"Yes, Colonel, it was Sora," Ladon confirmed. "You do not need to worry about betraying her confidence." He sighed. "Not long after her return from here, Sora told me all about her time among you." He straightened slightly. "I do not expect that I have the level of trust that you placed in her, nor do I trust you completely either. But then again I did not experience what she did."

"Where is she?" John asked quietly. "Is she all right?"

Ladon arched his brows. "As far as I know, yes. She is with some of my operatives off world, securing the way for my new Genii government."

"She's part of your coup?" Elizabeth interjected.

"Yes, Dr. Weir." Ladon turned his attention to Elizabeth. "Not long after she returned from her time here, Sora told me all that she had experienced."

John kept his expression neutral as Ladon looked back to him. "I do not agree with everything that Sora believes, but there are places in the Genii government that could…," Ladon sighed, "stand to be improved."

John licked his lips and stared silently back as Ladon's expression turned measured.

"Sora showed me how misled Cowen and our leadership were. I suppose I would have never led this coup without her influence." He shrugged. "I do not trust you, but at least I understand a little more about your people." He glanced at Elizabeth then back to John.

John nodded. "Funny, I said almost the exact same thing to Sora when she left."

"Ladon?" Elizabeth interjected. "Let's take this small understanding and build something out of it, shall we?"

John watched Ladon closely, but the Genii leader's expression remained carefully neutral. "Perhaps, Dr. Weir. Perhaps. Your offer to help those of my people that are sick goes a long way towards that ideal, but not all the way."

Elizabeth nodded silently.

"Ladon," John recaptured his attention, "give our best to Sora."

Ladon's expression remained neutral for a moment longer, before he smiled slightly. "I will do that, Colonel." He nodded once at John, before doing the same to Elizabeth. Without another word, he turned and disappeared through the wormhole.

John took a few steps to his right and closer to Elizabeth as the wormhole dissolved. "I'll be damned," he said quietly. He smiled as Elizabeth shook her head.

"I can't believe it. Of all people: Sora."

John shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "Damn, I'm good," he teased, his smile broadening as Elizabeth's stoic expression broke.

She laughed quietly. "Don't get too cocky, Colonel." She turned and walked away, leaving John to stare at the inactive gate. His grin faded to a half smile, as he reflected for a moment on Sora.

"_My people must see the error of their ways, or we are doomed to forever suffer under at the hands of the Wraith. I will do my best to help them see that."_

John's smile faded completely. He didn't entirely trust Ladon Radim. Then again, he didn't trust the Genii in general, so Ladon was about par for the course. But, in a convoluted way, John found himself in a position where he felt he had to trust Ladon at least a little bit… because he trusted Sora, and Sora trusted Ladon enough to talk frankly to him. That tertiary trust was foreign to John, and was something he felt he'd need time to get used to…_and Ladon has to keep up his end too._

He sighed and stared for a moment longer at the gate. _Take care of yourself, Sora._ Slowly, he turned and walked away.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_This is a story I've wanted to write for a long time… well pretty much since I saw The Eye and then watched Sora drop off the radar, her storyline never resolved. _

_I want to thank TanaquiSGA for all her insight and the conversations we had, also for her patient and exceptional beta reading skills. _

_Thank you to all my friends for their constant encouragement._


End file.
